Twisted:Dreams
by dreamgirl1994
Summary: Sequal to Twisted:Lies. After everything they have been through, Jeff and Jessica struggle to put the past behind them but not everyone is so willing to let them do so. Jeff Hardy/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_"Your turn," Jeff said climbing out of the pool, fully clothed and dripping wet._

_ "You wouldn't." Jessica laughed as he advanced toward her. She shrieked as he reached her and carried her over to the edge of the pool._

_ "No way! You're not getting away with it this time." He teased. She squirmed until he was forced to release her and she took off running, hiding behind Matt, who was lying in a lounge chair._

_ "Okay you two, give it up would ya? I'm trying to rest here." _

_ "Look what she did to me. I'm drenched." Jeff told him._

_ "Yea well you probably deserved it. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going back to my nap. That is if you two could keep it down."_

_ "Sorry Matty." Jessica said sheepishly before smiling at Jeff._

_ "Yea, we'll leave you alone. For now." He went over to the pool and splashed some water towards his brother, then quickly grabbed Jessica's hand, leading her into the house. Alone in the living room he wrapped his arms around her and they kissed._

_ "That was nice," She said to him as their lips slowly parted._

_ "I've got more." He whispered into her ear before they kissed again. Jeff lifted her up and carried her over to the couch and gently placed her down before lying on top of her. _

_ "You're all wet." She laughed._

_ "Thanks to you," He took his shirt off. "Better?"_

_ "Much." Her hands stroked his chest before she pulled him closer. He went to remove her shirt when they heard a sound coming from the kitchen. "What was that?"_

_ "It's probably just Matt." He told her but she sat up anyway. They waited for a few moments but no one came into the room. "Where were we?" _

_ "Maybe we should go upstairs?" She suggested._

_ "Why? He went back out."_

_ "Yea, but he could come in again at any time."_

_ "Wait right here." Jeff told her before he went into the kitchen. He looked out the window and saw his brother still lying on the lounge chair. He went over to the door and locked it before heading back to Jessica. "We're good to go."_

_ "Where's Matt?"_

_ "Still outside."_

_ "He could still come in."_

_ "Relax, I locked him out." He grinned._

_ "Well, in that case, get over here." Again, they embraced._

_ "I love you." He told her as he lifted her top above her head. She kissed him more forcefully as she felt her passion building. Not wasting any more time they gave in to their needs. Lost in the moment they didn't hear someone sneak up. The next thing Jessica knew she felt Jeff being pulled away from her._

_ "I don't think so." A voice softly said. She watched as Jeff was practically thrown across the room. He landed with a thud crashing into the coffee table. Jessica stared in horror as she stared at him lying there motionless._

_ "Jeff?" She called out before she realized the figure was now coming toward her. She jumped off the couch and ran over to Jeff. "Come on, wake up. Please." She pushed him trying to get him to stir but got no response. She returned her attention to the approaching intruder. _

_ "What do you want? Who are …" She stopped her questions as he stepped into the light. "It can't be."_

_ "Miss me?" Shane smiled at her._

_ "It's not you." Jessica shook her head. "You're in jail."_

_ "Did you really think I was going to stay gone? Don't you know me by now? I told you, we belong together."_

_ "Shane, don't do this and don't come any closer." She warned. "Jeff!"_

_ "I don't think he can hear you." He reached for her but she pushed him off and ran for the back door. She got as far as the kitchen before Shane grabbed her._

_ "Matt! Help!" She called out before Shane covered her mouth._

_ "You don't want to get him involved. If you do what I say no one else will get hurt." He dragged her back into the living room. She tried to free herself from him._

_"Don't fight it. It will be much easier if you just accept it." He was now pressed against her. He gripped her arms tightly. "You'll never be free of me. You'll always be my girl." He leaned in to kiss her and she struggled to fight him off but for some reason she couldn't move. She felt frozen as he pushed himself against her. This can't be happening, she thought. Why can't I move?_

_ "Jeff!" She screamed._

_ "No one can help you." Shane told her. He looked her in the eye. "Now where were we? Oh yes, I remember." He ripped at her shirt and she screamed as his hands clawed at her body. He moaned her name in excitement. _

_"No don't!" She shouted out as loud as she could. "Somebody help me! Please!"…………_

"Jess, come on honey." Jeff shook her gently again trying to wake her up. "Baby, it's okay. Wake up." Finally she began to stir. Her eyes opened and he could see the tears already forming. He wrapped his arms around her and just soothed her.

"I couldn't move." She told him.

"It's all right. It was only a dream."

"It felt so real."

"But it wasn't. Just keep remembering that. You're safe and Shane can't hurt us anymore."

"I don't know if I can do this." She started to get out of bed but Jeff pulled her back.

"Come here." He wrapped his arms around her. "It's going to be all right. You'll see."

"I just want this whole thing to be over." Jessica said pressing herself against him. "I don't know how much more I can take."

"You can do this and don't forget I'm going to be with you the entire time."

"And so will Shane."

"In hand cuffs, with police surrounding him, he can't hurt us anymore. I won't let him." He kissed her trying to calm her down. "It's early. Just close your eyes and rest a little more. It will be okay." Jeff sighed as she did as he said. He was beginning to think that their coming here was a bad idea.

In the two months since they had rescued her from Shane, their life was like a roller coaster. Jessica had her good days and her bad. In the beginning, Jeff was woken up several times a night by her crying or even worse. She would flail around and fight him until she finally woke up. Then he would spend at least another hour trying to calm her back down to sleep. Jeff himself rarely went back. Not sure what to do they kept her days jam packed with activities. They went to the lake or took trips to anywhere she wanted. All in the hopes that having fun and spending time with her would lessen her fear. For awhile it worked. She was almost the same ole Jess. She still had nightmares but they weren't as strong or as frequent. They had thought the worst was past them and then the summons came.

Both of them had been ordered to testify in court about all Shane had done to them and Shane would be there to witness it all.

Once Jessica received that letter she reverted back, afraid of having to face him. Most of their family and friends thought it was a good idea. That in order for both of them to move on they needed to do this, especially Jess but they couldn't see how this was affecting her. Not like Jeff could. And now that they were up here and today was the day, all Jeff wanted to do was take her back home and make everything go away again.

Too late, he thought. The best thing he could do now was just make sure she made it through the day with the least amount of damage as possible but something told him that was not going to be easy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update but it took awhile for me to get the story going in the direction I wanted. So thank you in advance for your patience.**

Chapter 2

They were woken up a few hours later by the sounds of someone knocking at the door. Jeff unwrapped himself from Jess and peered out the peep hole to see his brother staring back at him.

"How's it going?" Matt asked as he walked into the room. "I figured I check in early and make sure you guys were up in time."

"Well, we're up now." Jeff said grumpily.

"Sorry." Matt said. He went over to where Jessica who was now sitting up in bed. Judging by the redness in her eyes, he could tell that it had not been a good night. "Hey there beautiful."

"Hey Matty. I didn't realize it had gotten so late."

"Don't worry about it, besides we still have time. I'm just the wake up call. I went ahead and called room service for breakfast. They should be up here soon. So why don't you go take a shower and then we can all eat together?"

"Always looking out for me, right?" She said as she stood up and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Absolutely." He watched Jessica give a quick kiss to Jeff before heading into the bathroom. He looked to his brother. "How many times did she wake up?"

"Twice," Jeff sighed. "I don't know what to do man."

"Did she talk about them?"

"No. It's the same as always. She starts screaming and I wake her up. I know they're about Shane but she won't say what happens. Today all she said is she couldn't move. I wish she'd tell me what's going on. We got to be able to help her."

"You know," Matt started. "Maybe when this trial is over we should get her some kind of professional help."

"I can handle it."

"Jeff, she's not getting better, only worse."

"But she was." Jeff insisted. "At least until all this stuff about facing Shane in court came up."

"Was she really? Come on face it, all we did was kept her occupied. We saw how upset everything was making her, so we didn't give her any time to think about it. Instead we ran her around till she was too exhausted to do anything. Jess can't go on like this forever. Sooner or later, she's going to need to talk to someone."

Jeff thought about what Matt had said and even though he didn't want to admit it his brother was right. She wouldn't say what was going on, what she dreamt about. All he knew was that it had to do with Shane and he was pretty sure it was about that last day. She had talked about everything else that happened except what occurred after her failed escape. Whenever he pressed it, she would get upset then change the subject. Eventually he stopped asking and just consoled her. Jeff knew she was trying to block it all out, like she always did and this time he was helping her do it. He didn't want it to go down like last time, not when he could do something about it.

"Fine, I'll talk to Jess about it but now until after we're done. I don't want to upset her any more than she already is." Jeff said. There was another knock at the door, and Matt let in their room service. Jeff helped him spread the food out.

"Damn, did you order enough?"

"I figured the more food we had the more likely she'd actually eat something, besides I put it on your hotel bill." Matt grinned.

"Thanks a lot." Jeff turned on the television and they started to eat.

"Wow, is there any left for me?" Jessica said after she finally came out of the bathroom.

"Of course, apparently I brought plenty." Jeff told her. "Have a seat. I'll make you a plate." He started to fill her plate but she stopped him.

"Jeff, not today; just a little bit okay?" Jeff took a good look at her and couldn't help but notice how loose her clothes had become. The past couple of weeks she had eaten less and less. It hurt him to see her like that but he knew today was not the day to press the issue

"Fine, but only for today. When we get back home, you're gonna eat. I don't care if I got to force it down you."

"I will, I promise." She took the plate from him and they all ate in silence focusing on the perky hosts' banter on the television, pushing their situation out of their heads.

Their escape was short lived as they cut to a newsbreak and Shane's face flashed on the screen. Matt reached for the remote and quickly turned off the set. Both brothers turned to face Jessica. She looked away but not before Jeff read the fear in her eyes.

"Jess," He started but she shook her head.

"I can't do this." She whispered softly.

"It will be okay." He reached for her hand. She pulled away from him jumping up.

"No, it won't be! How am I supposed to go in there and face him when I can't even look at him on a TV screen? I have to be in the same room as him. I have to sit there and tell everyone what he did to me with him watching the whole time. I can't do it."

"Yes, you can." Jeff came over to her. "Look at me. I know you're scared but you can do this. Don't freak out; that's what he wants. You have to be strong."

"I always thought, or at least hoped that when the time came, I'd be ready. I mean I want to go in there, stare him right in the face and tell him to go to hell. I want him to know that he can't control me; that I'm not afraid of him anymore. But it's not true. Right now, just the thought of stepping into that courthouse, knowing that he'll be there scares me."

"I know and I wish it wasn't like this. If I could stop it or fix it in some way I would but I can't. You just have to remember that we're here for you. We'll get through this together." He wiped a tear from her face before wrapping his arms around her. "I love you. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you, okay?" She nodded at him and he led her back to the bed to finish her breakfast.

"Now eat. I'm just gonna get dressed. I'll be out in a minute." He released her hand and went into the bathroom. Matt stared at Jessica unsure of what to say. He knew that Jeff had calmed her down like only he could and he didn't want to set her off again by saying the wrong thing. Jess looked up and realized Matt was watching her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." She told him.

"You didn't. I just want to make sure you're all right."

"I'm trying but I don't think so."

"You will. It will be over before you know it. Then we can all go back home and start to put this behind us. I know it's not going to be easy, nothing about this has been, but I do believe it's what you need to do. You need to face him."

"I know."

"I'll be there every step of the way."

"Thank you." She smiled at him then looked at her plate. "I really can't eat all of this." She put the plate back on the tray then placed it outside of their room.

"Jess," She could see the disapproving look on Matt's face.

"I know, I get it, I need to eat more and I will. It was cold." He looked at her with disbelief. "When we go home I'll eat a big dinner. I'll eat everything in sight, I promise. Just don't tell Jeff."

"Don't tell Jeff what?" Jeff asked stepping out of the bathroom.

"Nothing."

"Somehow, I don't believe you." He told her. She looked at him innocently then gave him a kiss. "Don't try to change the subject."

"A girl's got to have her secrets." Jessica said walking away.

"Fine, I'll let it go, for now." Jeff went over to the dresser and picked up his wallet. "Unfortunately it's time to leave. You ready?"

"No." Jessica said uneasily. "But I guess we have to get it over with. He took her hand and led her to the door. He felt like he was dragging her.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna let go." He assured her. She gave him a weak smile before letting him pull her out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jessica took a deep breath as she stepped out of the car and stared at the courthouse. The steps made it seem like it was miles away. Jeff took her hand as they walked through the parking lot towards the building. It wasn't long before they were spotted by reporters and surrounded by cameras. Several of them barraged them with questions but Jeff and Matt shielded Jessica as they pushed her through the crowd.

"Move out of the way." A voice penetrated the group. Jeff was grateful to see Agent Miller approaching them. "Let them through."

"Thanks," Matt said after they had gotten into the courthouse.

"No problem and I am sorry about that. I should have had someone looking out for you guys. I'm just glad I was out there at the right time."

"No kidding." Matt said. He looked over to Jeff and Jessica. The push of the crowd had obviously freaked Jessica out and now Jeff was trying to calm her down. "Is there a place they can go that's a little more private?" He gestured to the large crowd that was obviously watching them. Miller nodded and led them all to a small room.

"You should be good here. No interruptions. I'll be back in a few minutes. I just want to let the prosecutor know you're here. He wanted to speak with you." Miller left the room.

"Do you guys need anything?" Matt asked.

"Some courage maybe?" Jessica responded with a weak smile.

"Well, I was thinking more along the lines of something to eat or drink. As far as courage goes, you have it in spades."

"We'll see." She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Man, how long do you think we have to wait in here?" Jeff asked. "I think the waiting is what makes it worse."

"Speak for yourself. I'd be happy to stay in here all day."

"Sorry babe but it's going to be okay." He squeezed her hand. "I'm won't let go. I promise."

"Do you think they'll let you hold my hand on the witness stand?" She asked trying to crack a joke.

"Sure, they'll even let you sit on my lap." He smiled. Then his face grew serious. "Just look at me the whole time. I'll get you through it." She leaned into him, sighing. They sat in silence for a few minutes till there was a knock on the door. Matt opened the door a little to see who it was then allowed the door to open fully. They all stared as Vince McMahon walked into the room.

Just a few months ago, the sight of him or any of the McMahon's would make her smile. They were the family that had always been there for her. They welcomed her into their lives and treated her like one of their own, but that was before. Now she was the one trying to put their son, the real child away for a very long time. Since she left the hospital she had only spoken to Vince once and that was when she first got down. He called to make sure her nurse was doing her job and then he quickly got off the phone. Even now, the Vince in front of her seemed cold, distant, not the father figure she had known for almost her whole life. She squeezed Jeff hand even tighter.

"What are you doing here?" Jeff demanded.

"I wanted to see how Jessica is doing." Vince told him.

"Why? It's not like you've bothered to call and find out."

"Jeff, it's okay." Jessica stopped him. She stood up and walked toward to Vince. "I'm all right I guess, or at least I'm trying to be."

"She will be." Matt said from behind her. It grew quiet as everyone stared at one another.

"So is that it?" Jeff asked breaking the silence.

"No, it's not. You see, I had this all planned out for today. I'd come back here and make some emotional plea and everything would be okay but I didn't count on me actually fighting my nerves."

"I know the feeling." Jessica told him.

"I should have called to see how you were doing. I wanted to. I even picked up the phone a few times but I couldn't go through with it. After that night, I didn't know what to say. I mean what Shane did to you…"

"Please don't." Jessica interrupted him and Vince looked at her quizzically. "It's just, what Shane did, all of it, was his own actions. I don't hold anyone else responsible, especially not you."

"You looked to me like a father and I shut you out. Your whole life you had to deal with people abandoning you and when it really mattered, I went and did the same thing. I'm sorry." Vince looked to the ground. She could tell how hard this was for him. Vincent Kennedy McMahon never apologizes. Just the idea that he would, gave her hope that maybe she hadn't lost the only family she knew. She walked over to him and gave him a hug. The tension in his body relaxed as he hugged her back.

"It's okay." She told him when they let each other go. "Just don't do it again."

"I won't, I promise." He told her then looked at her solemnly. "How are you really?"

"Honestly? I'm scared. I thought I knew what today would be like too but now that it's actually here, I'm just hoping to make it through the day without losing it."

"You can do it and I'm going to help."

"Thank you." She said to him.

"You'll see. I'm going to make it better, I promise." He gave her another hug and then looked to both Matt and Jeff. "Thank you for taking care of her when I was too stupid to."

"It's no problem." Matt said ignoring the scowl on his brother's face. He knew how important it was to Jess to have the McMahon's in her life. Just looking out her now he could see that she was already happier. He just hoped Vince meant what he said.

"I have something to take care of." Vince told them before turning back to Jessica. "But I'll be back as soon as I can. You just stay strong."

"I'll try." She told him before he left the room. She turned back to the boys and frowned when she saw Jeff's face. "Jeff,"

"I know and I'm sorry. I know how much it would mean for you to have Vince back. I get it. It's just I can't get over what he did."

"Who's always reminding me we have to let go and move on?" She asked him.

"I am."

"Then why can't we start over with Vince?"

"He was willing to sacrifice you to save Shane." Jeff reminded her.

"Vince wasn't going to sacrifice me. He didn't realize what Shane was capable of. He was just trying to avoid all this, or even worse."

"Yea, well you got shot because of it. You almost died."

"I know that but you saved me." She pulled him up to her. "I'm just asking you to give him a chance, for me." Jeff tried to look away but Jessica wouldn't let him. She leaned in and kissed him.

"Come on, give in." Matt said from behind them. "You know you can't say no to her. Accept it."

"Fine." Jeff said eventually. "But I'm keeping my eyes open."

"I wouldn't expect anything else." She told him. They were interrupted by a knock at the door. An officer entered the room.

"They're ready to get started." He told them.

"Wait, no one even came in to see us. I haven't met the prosecutor yet. I don't know what we're supposed to do or what's even going to happen today." Jessica questioned him.

"I was just told to come and escort you all to the courtroom. If you can follow me please," The officer stepped outside of the room.

"Something's not right." She looked at Jeff. "Miller said the prosecutor wanted to talk with us. Why would he pull us into court unprepared?"

"I don't know but I'm sure it will be okay. Don't worry." He tried to reassure her before taking her hand to lead her out of the room. He could tell by the look on her face that she thought something was up and so did he. As they walked towards the courtroom Jeff caught Miller's gaze. There was something about the look of concern on Miller's face that bothered him. He wanted to question him but Jeff realized they had another problem. They were standing at the open door of the courtroom and Jessica wouldn't budge. She froze in fear as her eyes locked on Shane.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Jess," Jeff said facing her. "Come on you can do this. It's what you've been waiting for. Don't let him get the best of you." For a minute she stood still just staring at the back of Shane's head. She knew he was right. If she wanted for this to end she had to confront him. Grasping Jeff's hand tightly, she walked into the courtroom and followed the officer as he showed them to their seat.

Jessica's eyes darted around the room but kept going back to Shane. So far she had been lucky; she didn't think he even knew they were in the room. She noticed the two lawyers talking to one another in hushed tones. One of them turned and saw her. He gave her a smile before walking towards them.

"Jessica Murdock? I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to speak sooner. " He said as he came up to them. At the sound of her name, Shane spun around.

"Jess!" Shane called trying to stand up.

"Shane, don't." His lawyer told him putting his hand on his shoulder. "It's best if you look forward." He whispered something else but she couldn't hear what.

"I just want to apologize." Shane said.

"Now is not the right time. Remember what we said, you say nothing until I tell you."

"No I have to." Shane turned again and faced her. "Jess, I'm sorry."

"Don't even think about it!" Jeff jumped up from his seat next to her as he saw Shane move closer. "You stay away from her!"

"I'm not trying to hurt anyone. I just need to explain. I don't know what happened. I wasn't thinking clearly. I know it doesn't mean much but I want you to know I'm getting help. I think it's going to be okay. The doctor's say they can make me all better." He smiled at her and took a step closer. "I can make it up to you, you'll see. We can go back to like it was before; like nothing ever happened."

"Back the hell up! What is wrong with you?" Jeff yelled rushing towards Shane.

"Shane sit back down!" Vince ordered as Jeff pushed his son. An officer grabbed Jeff's arm while another tried to pull Shane to his seat. Everyone was shouting. Shane yelled out another apology to her as Matt and Jeff argued back at him. More officers came over trying to subdue the situation.

As intense as the scene was becoming, Jessica just sat there, almost oblivious. Her mind flashed back to everything that had happened, the abandoned building, when she tried to escape on the highway, his 'dream house'. Then she saw it, or practically felt it. She could feel Shane pressed against her as he pulled at her underwear. She could smell the scent of alcohol that lingered on his breath. She could even still feel her own desperation as Shane forced himself on her.

Jessica tried to shake it off and focus on the current situation. Her gaze met Shane's. He actually had the nerve to give her one of his goofy grins like that would make it all better. She felt her anger build up as she stared at his smug face. She had no idea if it was meant to be a comforting smile or a smirk but it didn't matter. All she knew was that she didn't want it. Jess was surprised by the emotions building up inside her. She had thought the sight of him would instill fear in her, but that wasn't the case. She felt anger and rage. She wanted to go up to him a slap that smirk right off his face.

She looked around the room at the whole scene that was unfolding. Jeff, Matt and Vince were being held back by cops as they yelled at one another. Agent Miller was between them all trying to calm everyone down. From across the room she saw Linda and Stephanie's mortified expressions. Her eyes rested back on Shane.

"It'll be okay." Shane mouthed to her. Jessica couldn't take it anymore.

"You son of a bitch!" She screamed pushing past the crowd and lunging at Shane. One of the cops tried to grab her but she shook him off and reached Shane. He tried to avoid her blows as he covered his head with his arms

"I'm sorry!" He yelled out. Matt and Jeff came over and pulled her off of him.

"You're sorry? You almost killed me!" She struggled to get out of the brothers' grasp as they pulled her towards the door. "You raped me!" She screamed across the courtroom. Shocked, Jeff let go of her. An eerie silence came over the room as all eyes turned to face Shane. His face drained of all color as he stared through the crowd of disapproving glares.

"No, you're mistaken. That's not what happened. Don't listen to her. She's not thinking straight. Everyone here knows how she is when she's upset." He turned to his attention to her. "It's okay Jess. We understand."

Using all her strength Jessica pushed Matt off of her and charged at Shane again. This time he was prepared and he put up his hands to stop her. Jessica froze for a moment as Shane held her at the wrists. All the fear, all the anxiety and all the trauma he had caused her came back to her. Enraged, she raised her knee and slammed it hard into his groin with such force that they both fell to the ground. Shane writhed on the floor in pain as Jessica continued to hit him.

Several officers came over to try to stop them but Matt and Agent Miller cut them off reaching them first. They tried to lift Jessica up but she was struggling so much that they dropped her. Matt yelled for his brother to give them a hand as they subdued Jessica's arms. They pulled her off keeping her on the ground in hopes that she would calm down. Her eyes glared at Shane and he almost smiled back at her.

"You know you wanted it." Shane whispered soft enough that only she heard. Jessica flailed again but this time with the help of Jeff the three of them were able to lift her up and they started to drag her out of the room.

"You bastard!" She shouted. "I hope you rot in jail." She kept screaming at him as she was pulled to the door. Vince came over and gave them a hand, clearing the aisle ahead of them. When they finally got her out, Vince quickly closed the doors behind them shutting them off from the chaos that was left behind.

Vince was conflicted about what to do next. He had wanted to follow them and make sure Jessica was going to be okay but her claim had caused a major problem in Shane's case. He turned to stare at his son still lying on the floor. Linda moved to go over to Shane but Vince stopped her. He went over to him and helped him up.

"Thanks, I didn't think she'd…" Shane's voice trailed as his saw the anger in his father's eyes. "Dad, it's not true. I know I wasn't in the right frame of mind but I didn't do it. She was lying." Shane gave a look to his mother and sister. Stephanie looked away disgusted.

"Shane sit." Vince ordered pointing to the chair. "And don't say another word. That's an order!" Quietly Shane sulked to his chair. He looked again to his mother.

"Mom, I swear I didn't do it." Linda didn't respond.

"I said quiet!" Vince's nostrils flared as he saw his wife's face. She wanted to believe in. In her eyes there was no way she had raised someone capable of violating any woman like that never mind one he had known his whole life.

Vince wanted to believe the same thing but he had been there. He had seen Jessica her clothes all torn trembling every time Shane touched her but at the hospital she had told everyone that Jeff had come in just in time. With the conflicted stories, Vince knew he should believe his own son but he couldn't. It wasn't because of what Shane had already done, nor was it the realness of Jessica's words and emotions. It was the taunt that Shane had whispered while they were subduing her on the floor. Obviously Shane had spoken softly but Vince had been watching and even though he hadn't heard it. Shane lips were perfectly clear.

Now Vince faced the biggest dilemma. Should he do what was best for his son or Jessica?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jessica put up a fight the entire way, still struggling to get out of their grasp. She wanted to run back in there and hurt Shane for everything he had done to her. She had never felt this much anger before. When they were back in the room they finally released her. Jeff watched Jessica pace angrily around the room, still surprised by her outburst and her admission. Her words replayed in his head over and over again.

"Jess," He said softly.

"I can't believe him! First he stands there and talks like it was nothing, like everything he did was just some stupid prank. It didn't mean anything to him. Everything he did to me, to all of us, and he thought it would all be forgiven with an apology and a smile."

"Jess," Jeff tried again but it was like she didn't hear him.

"He had the nerve to deny it. I told everyone what he did and he tried to make me look crazy; like I was the one lying. She froze for a minute remembering how he taunted her. _You know you wanted it._ Those words echoed in her head. Jeff came over and put his arms around her but she shook him off. "I can't."

"At least sit down. Honey please. You're scaring us." She let him lead her to a chair.

"I felt him. I felt his breath against me. I felt his hands on me. I felt him inside…" Her voice trailed as she looked into his eyes. She saw the hurt showing across his face and realized what she had just done. Since returning home, Jessica had rarely spoken of her last day with Shane. He knew Shane had attacked her but Jeff had always thought that he had gotten there in time and that was how she had wanted to keep it. But today, two months later he found out he was wrong. Unable to deal with the look he was giving her she turned away, only to now look at Matt's concerned face.

"Can everyone please stop staring at me?" Jessica snapped lowering her head into her hand.

"Hey you guys, maybe you can give us a moment alone?" Jeff asked them.

"Yea, sure. I'll go check what's going on." Miller told them.

"Let me go with you." Matt told them. He briefly rested his hand on his brother's shoulder for support before following Miller out of the room.

Jeff stood there not sure what to do next. He knew he should pull her close to him and comfort her but for some reason he couldn't. His mind flashed back to the moment he had burst into the house. He had been so angry that all he truly remembered was knocking Shane off of her. He had really thought that he had gotten there in time but he hadn't and somehow she had managed to keep the truth to herself. He was angry and disappointed in himself for not realizing what she had been through. Jeff couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for her to keep all that inside nor could he understand why she did it. It hurt him that she didn't feel safe enough to tell him.

He looked over at her again and realized that none of that was important. What mattered was being there for Jess now. He'd deal with his own insecurities later. Jeff tried reaching out for her again. This time she didn't shrug him off so he pulled her closer. He didn't force her to say or do anything, he just held her until he was ready. Eventually she looked back at him.

"I'm sorry." She told him.

"For what?"

"I should have told you the truth."

"Why couldn't you?" He asked her.

"I don't know. I just thought it would be easier this way. If no one else knew, then maybe I can pretend it didn't really happen. I guess it's the usual; I wanted to block it out."

"The dreams, your nightmares, that's what they were about?"

"Yea, but the more I tried to push it away the worse they got. Then I saw Shane and I got so angry I just blurted it out."

"I can't believe you held this in."

"I'm sorry." She told him touching his face. She knew he was hurt and she felt more than anything that her keeping it a secret from him pained him the most. "Don't be angry, I just wasn't ready." He stared at her for a moment.

"Honey, I am not mad at you. I could never be so don't think that for a minute. It just came out as a shock but I'm here for you. You don't have to say anything right now if you don't want to but whenever you're ready, I'm here."

"Thank you." She told him resting her head on his shoulder. "At least one good thing happened today."

"What's that?"

"I got mad. I finally wasn't scared."

"Good for you." He smiled kissing her head.

"I can't believe I just blurted it out like that. Now everyone knows."

"Yea, they know what an ass Shane is. If I ever get my hands on him again, I'll kill him."

"I meant they know what happened to me."

"It doesn't matter, Jess." Jeff told her.

"Sure it does. It means the looks continue. The pity. It was bad enough with everything else he did. I'd see it in everyone's eyes; they all have that 'poor girl' look. Now with this, everyone's going to walk on eggshells around me. I just want everything to be normal again. No more reporters, no more court case, and no more people asking me how I feel. Just life but it's not going to happen."

"Of course it will. You'll see."

"How?" She asked him. Jeff paused trying to think of an answer but he couldn't come up with one.

"I just know it will." He shrugged. "You know what? We need to get out of here."

"I don't think they'll let us. I kind of caused a little scene back there."

"Screw them." He told her pulling her up. "All I care about is you and you need to get away from this circus."

"What about Matt?"

"He'll understand. We'll take a cab so he won't be stranded. Come on, name the place. We can go anywhere you want." He looked at her expectantly. Finally she smiled at him.

"Thank you." She told him before giving him a kiss.

"Let's get out of here." He took her hand and peaked outside before leading her out of the building. Luckily, someone was getting out of a taxi just as they got out.

"Where to?" The driver asked after they go in.

"Just drive." Jeff said as Jessica snuggled against him. He kept his arm around her protectively as the car pulled away. He took a look back at the building satisfied that they were gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jessica watched the houses fly by as they reached more familiar areas. While she was happy to be away from the courthouse, she dreaded what was coming next. She knew she couldn't put it off forever, sooner or later Jeff would want to know what really happened. She had told him which is something she never thought she would do but reliving it wasn't something she thought she could get through.

"Let's get out here." Jessica said as they drove past a park. Jeff looked around and realized that it was the same park that they had scoured looking for Jess.

"Are you sure?"

"Yea." She told him as the cab slowed down. Jessica stepped out and waited for Jeff to pay the driver. When he was done he took her hand and they started to walk. She led him over to a bench by the playground. They sat down leaning into one another. Jeff put his arm around her. To anyone passing by they looked like a normal loving couple. Little did they know, Jessica thought.

"This used to be my favorite place to go." She told him. "I remember when I was five I had a birthday party here. For one day everyone played the part. My parents were the adoring husband and wife and I was the perfectly normal child. It's sad. We were only pretending and that was still one of the happiest days of my life. After that whenever I was down or things were just too much to handle, this is where I would come."

"At home, they would always be screaming and yelling at each other. I'd sit in a corner and cry. I don't know if they never realized I was there or just didn't care but they always fought in front of me. The way they spoke to one another was so hurtful, mean. The only way to avoid going crazy was to shut it all out and just go numb. Eventually one of them would storm out of the house leaving the other to deal with me. This is always where they would take me." She glanced at a few of the children playing on the swings. Their laughter brought a small smile to her face.

"That used to me. I'd swing as high as I could, thinking that if I swung high enough I could get away from it all." She was interrupted by the kids protesting to their mother about having to go home. "But real life always cuts in. Eventually, you have to come down, face it and keep living your life." Jessica contemplated what she had just said. Face it, keep living your life, she hadn't been doing that. She took a deep breath. Maybe now it was time to do so.

"The plan was to drug him and then get him so drunk he'd pass out giving me the time I needed. I'd find the keys and I'd be out of there. God, that was a stupid plan. Maybe they were old or baking the pills made them weak but he wouldn't fall asleep. Drink after drink after drink, and still nothing. Then we were in the bedroom. He took my dress off then pushed me on the bed. We struggled but I was quicker."

"I got out of the house and I thought I was going to get away but of course not. The next thing I know I'm waking up back in the house and Shane's waving a gun around like a lunatic. He said there were two choices. He could kill us both or he could force me to love him." She slightly trembled as she got to the part that she had been trying to block out for the past two months.

"He pointed the gun at me then pushed me onto the ground. He got on top of me and ripped my shirt. His hands were all over just clawing and groping. I tried fighting but I couldn't get him off. He was so forceful almost like an animal not wasting any time. He pulled at my underwear and then it happened; he was inside me and all I could do was scream."

"That's when I heard you." Jeff said. "Did he… I mean is there a chance…" His voice trailed again. He didn't know how far Shane had gone. Did he use any protection? What if she had gotten pregnant? Jeff had so many questions but he didn't know how to ask nor was he sure he was prepared for the answers. Jessica shook her head.

"There wasn't a condom, if that's what you mean, but you came barreling in and knocked him off of me before he could uhm, you know." She forced herself to look him in the eye. She could tell he was upset. "I'm sorry."

"Why do you keep apologizing?"

"I wanted you to think that you had stopped him, that you saved me."

"Why?"

"When I was still in the hospital I overheard you talking to Matt about it. You were so worried about whether Shane had raped me. I knew you'd blame yourself and then when you thought that he didn't you looked so relieved. You've been through so much because of me, I just couldn't do it."

"Honey, there is no way you are responsible for anything that happened and I'd go through everything that happened to me all over again if it meant that I could hold you like this. You are the most important thing in my life. Don't ever forget that."

"But what about now?" She asked.

"You mean with what Shane did? He's lucky he's in jail. I'd kill that son of a bitch for everything he's done to you. But it doesn't change how I feel about you. Jess, I love you and nothing is going to make me feel any different."

"I just don't know where to go from here. I want to be happy but I don't know how. I can't even sleep through the night. How do I get him out of my head?"

"Matt and I were talking this morning. We were thinking that maybe you need to talk to someone; a therapist, maybe someone who specializes in this."

"Why? I spent almost a year in a mental hospital and when it got rough I still flipped out. It didn't work then. Why would it now?"

"I don't think you were ready to face everything then. With what you've been through, you've started to deal with it. You remembered that Shane was there that night you tried to kill yourself, and look at now. You've never talked about your childhood like you just did here. You're opening up about what has happened in your life. You're ready to handle this I know it."

Jessica wished she felt as sure as he did but she needed her life back. She wanted that happily ever after with Jeff and she was pretty sure it wasn't going to happen with her waking up screaming at least twice a night. Besides maybe speaking to someone who wasn't involved might make it easier.

"So what do you think?" Jeff asked.

"I guess it couldn't hurt."

"That's my girl." Jeff stood up. "Come here."

"Where are we going?" She asked as he pulled her to her feet. He didn't say anything just led her over to the swings.

"Are you serious?" She asked laughing.

"Come on, I'll even give you a push to start off." He told her as she sat down. She couldn't help but laugh as she felt the wind flow around her. She closed her eyes feeling the warmth of the sun against her face. Amazing, she thought to herself, feeling like a little kid again. But this time it was different. She wasn't trying to escape anything, more like facing everything she had been through. It was time to try to move on and really live her life. She opened her eyes and turned to face Jeff swinging next to her.

"You ready?" He asked reaching out for her hand as they swung together. She nodded at him. "Okay on three, one… two… three…" On three, they both jumped off the swings landing on their feet. She wrapped her arms around him with such force they fell onto the sand.

"Oops, sorry."

"No complaints here." Jeff said as she lay on top of him. He pulled her closer kissing her passionately.

"I think we should leave." Jessica said after their lips parted. She started to get up.

"No stay," Jeff pulled her back.

"You know we could get arrested for this." She teased.

"As long as we share the same cell I'm cool." He told her smiling. She kissed him again before rolling off of him. Holding hands they stared up at the sky content in just being together. The sounds of approaching children broke up their moment.

"You're covered in sand." She laughed after they stood up.

"So are you." He wiped her face. "I guess we should go back to the hotel and clean up then maybe we can get something to eat. All this action has made me hungry."

"Yea I bet." He took her hand as they walked back to the parking lot


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Where the hell were you guys?" Matt yelled as Jessica and Jeff entered the hotel lobby. "I went back to the room and you were gone!"

"Sorry dude, we needed to get away for a little bit." Jeff told him.

"Well you could have at least let me know. I called your cell about ten times."

"We wanted to be alone." Jeff tried to give him a look to let him know to chill out.

"It's my fault Matt." Jessica spoke up. "I had to get out of there."

"You okay?" Matt asked giving her a hug.

"I'm going to be okay." She responded squeezing him back. "I'm sorry we freaked you out."

"Well as long as your fine." He released her and then gave her a quizzical look. "Do you guys know you're covered in sand?"

"Yea, we know." Jeff laughed. "It's a long story but we need to wash up so it will have to wait."

"Something tells me I don't want to know." Matt told them as they headed to the elevator. Once inside he turned to them. "Miller was here."

"Yea? What did he want?" Jeff asked.

"He wanted to talk to you about today but he got tired of waiting. He said to call him once you got in."

"Fine, we'll do it after dinner. Do you want to join us?"

"Thanks bro, but I'll leave you two alone." They exited the elevator and headed to their rooms.

"Are you sure?" Jeff asked as he opened the door to let Jess in.

"Yea, I'm just gonna grab a quick bite then head to the gym."

"Hey wait!" Jessica called after him. "What happened after we left?"

"Don't worry, it can wait till later." Matt told her looking away. "You guys enjoy your dinner."

"Thanks man but if you change your mind you'll know where we'll be." Jeff watched his brother walk away before shutting the door.

"Is Matt okay?" Jessica asked as he walked into the room.

"Yea, why?"

"I don't know. He just seemed off."

"He was probably still pissed about our disappearing act. Don't worry, you know Matt. After his work out he'll be fine. Now, what do you say we take that shower?" He asked pulling her towards the bathroom.

"Together?"

"Well yea. Why not?"

"I don't think we'll get too clean that way." She laughed.

"I'll wash your back and you'll wash mine." He said smiling.

"Yea, I'm sure. Listen, why don't I take my shower and you can figure out where we're going to eat."

"Wait you don't want to just order room service?"

"I think I'm room serviced out. Let's actually eat outside of the room."

"Then we can come back for desert?" He said suggestively pulling her close to him again.

"If you're good." Jessica gave him a kiss then went into the bathroom.

She quickly got undressed and stepped into the shower. As she washed she thought of Jeff and a smile came to her lips. She couldn't believe how understanding he had been today. She had been scared of what would happen if Jeff had found out the truth; that he would treat her differently but that hadn't been the case. He was the same as always knowing just what to say and do to make her feel better. With everything that has gone wrong in her life Jeff had become the one good thing she could count on. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself before stepping out of the bathroom.

"That was…" He didn't get a chance to finish because she came straight into the room and kissed him with such force they fell onto the bed. "Whoa. Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?"

"Because I love you." She told him.

"That's good enough for me." He said and they kissed again only longer. "Are you sure?"

"Yea. I want to." Her hands massaged his chest as she kissed his neck. Jeff lifted his shirt off and did the same to her as their lips never stopped touching one another. He rolled her over till he was on top. She moaned as he removed her towel then gently caressed her body. Jessica opened her eyes and stiffened.

All of the sudden it was Shane she was staring at and not Jeff. Terror rose inside her as she was transported back to the house. Again she found herself on the floor with Shane on top of her forcing himself on her.

"No, stop!" She cried out not realizing Jeff had already stopped knowing something was wrong as soon as she froze.

"Don't!" Jeff panicked not sure what he should do next. He looked down at her trembling body as she was reliving the attack.

"Jess, baby look at me." He said to her. She stared back at him her eyes wide open but it was like she wasn't there. Jeff couldn't bare the look of terror in her face. He wanted to reach out and shake her out of it but he remembered what she said about Shane holding her down forcefully. He didn't want to contribute to what her mind was already doing to her. She didn't see him anymore only Shane.

Her tears fell down her face as she whimpered and he couldn't take it anymore. He got back on the bed and pulled her into his arms. She fought him at first but he held on tight. Eventually her sobs subsided and she breathed heavily into him. They made eye contact and he knew she was back.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She said when she finally aware of what was happening.

"Ssh, don't worry about it. It's okay." He rocked her soothingly.

"I don't know what happened. One minute it was you and me and everything was good. Next thing I knew you were gone. All I saw was Shane. He was on top of me and he was forcing… It was so real." She told him.

"It's all right. You're safe now. Shane's not here remember? He can't hurt you anymore. It's okay."

"It's not okay. I can't get him out of my head. It's like he's always going to be there. Even if he's in jail, he's always going to be in here. What am I supposed to do?" She looked to him.

"It'll happen. You'll see. We'll just take it slowly."

"I'm sorry." She said to him. "I just can't. I'm not ready."

"It's okay. I understand and I don't want you to worry about it." She shivered slightly and he realized that she wasn't dressed. "Let me get you some clothes." He told her and he started to release her.

"No don't." She held on to him tighter. "Just stay here."

"I won't go anywhere. I promise." He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around them. "There, is that better?"

"Yea." She nodded.

"We'll figure this out." Jeff told her. "We'll find someone who you can talk to. They'll be able to help us."

"I feel so bad."

"You shouldn't. It's okay. We'll take it slow. You see this? The way we are right now? This is fine with me. As long as you're with me I don't need anything else."

"I ruined tonight."

"No you didn't but if you want we can just order some room service and eat in. It'll be better that way anyway. We can have a nice private dinner; no one will interrupt us. What do you think?"

She took a few moments to think about it. There was always a chance that if they went down to the restaurant they would run into someone they knew or they would be recognized. It was already well known where they were staying. On the other hand the awkwardness still lingered in the room. It might be good for a change of scenery.

"You know, let's go down to the restaurant." She said.

"Are you sure?" Jeff looked surprised.

"Yea, remind me what it's like to eat at an actual table again."

"Okay then. I'm gonna quickly wash up. Why don't you get dressed and then we can head down." He gave her a kiss. "Okay?" Jeff let out a sigh of relief when she finally let him go. He watched as she went to the dresser and pulled out a shirt. Shaking a little she started to get dressed.

"I'm okay. Go get ready." Jessica told him when she noticed him watching. He walked into the bathroom and she turned to look at herself in the mirror. "Pull it together girl. You're a mess. When he comes back out that door everything has to be okay again." She grabbed a tissue and wiped the streaks from her face. She just had to hold it together till this was over and they were back in North Carolina. The court case will be done, Shane will be in prison, and hopefully they could get on with their lives. It all sounded so simple but she felt absolutely terrible about what had just happened. There was no way Jeff wasn't hurt by what just happened. Her mind had just turned her boyfriend into her rapist.

Frustrated Jessica turned from the mirror. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the phone sitting on the nightstand and thought about calling someone. She needed to vent to someone other than a Hardy. Amy was the closest friend she had now, but she was touring with her band and it had taken Jessica forever to convince her to do so. If she called now, Amy would high tail it back to her and that's not what Jess wanted. She was happy to see someone have a life.

That left only Stephanie. Their relationship was not what it used to be and it was more her fault then Steph's. No matter how hard either of them tried, she always felt uncomfortable talking to her about what had happened. Shane was her brother after all and it was weird asking Steph to take sides. She picked up the phone and with a sigh dialed.

"Hello?" She heard Stephanie's voice over the phone.

"Hey Steph, its Jess."

"Jess? Oh my god, I'm so glad you called. I wanted to talk to you today but first there was what happened in the court room and then when I went to find you after they said you were gone. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just needed to get out of there but I'm okay." She paused. All of the sudden, she didn't want to talk about it.

"You're not okay." Steph told her. "I've known you long enough to know when you're lying. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I just want to see how you're doing."

"I'm on my way over." She cut Jessica off.

"No, wait. Steph, it's okay besides Jeff and I were about to go have dinner."

"Fine I'll put the kids to bed and then I'll be over. That should give you enough time." Jessica smiled when she realized Stephanie wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Thank you." Jessica told her.

"It's no problem. I'm just glad you called me."

"Me too." Jessica said goodbye before hanging up the phone. She went back to getting dressed and by the time Jeff came out she thought she looked almost normal.

"Ready to go?"

"Do I look okay?"

"You look beautiful." He told her. She walked over to him kissing his cheek.

"Then I'm ready. Let's eat." She said lightly. And they walked out of the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jessica and Jeff ate a quick meal at the restaurant. They both kept the conversation light trying to move on from what had happened earlier. Gradually they started to enjoy themselves and Jeff felt his worries dissipate as Jessica actually ate a full meal.

"So what do you want to do now?" Jeff asked after they had finished desert.

"Well, I hope you don't mind but when you were taking a shower I called Stephanie. She was going to come over so we could talk a little. Is that okay?"

"Yea, it's fine. What brought this on?"

"Don't take this the wrong way but I needed to clear my head. Tell someone what I'm feeling."

"Other than me." His smile faded.

"Don't do that. It's just you're dealing with it, and I'm dealing with it. You said it yourself. It might help if I spoke to someone a little more removed from it. I mean she's still a part of it but just not as much." She paused. "Am I making any sense?"

"Yea you are and I understand. You need an outside voice to vent to and I get that. I guess as long as you're talking to someone I'm happy."

"Let's get out of here and take a walk. At least until Stephanie shows up."

"You sure?"

"You kidding I'm stuffed. I need to work some of this food off."

"God forbid you put any weight on." He said sarcastically.

"Then let's go." They walked outside of the hotel and strolled around the parking lot holding hands. She gazed up at the stars in the sky. "It's beautiful out."

"Yea, you know when we get back home I got to take you camping. Then you'll see some real stars without all these lights."

"Oh, I'm a girl from Long Island. I don't do nature. There are all these bugs and creatures hiding in the dark."

"Creatures?" Jeff asked laughing.

"You know what I mean. There are all these furry little animals that'll crawl up on you. Rabies… No air conditioning… Do you need me to go on?"

"That settles it. We're definitely going camping. If anything just to see your reaction."

"Oh so we're going just to have a laugh at my expense?"

"Absolutely." He pulled her close to him. "Plus whenever you get scared I get to protect you." She leaned up and kissed him.

"Hey you guys!" They turned and saw Stephanie coming up to them. "I thought that was you."

"Hey Steph!" Jessica smiled and gave her a hug. "You just saved me from having to agree to go camping."

"You? Camping? The only place you ever camped out at was in a mall." Stephanie said laughing.

"That's what I tried to tell him."

"Don't worry. I'll get her to change her mind." Jeff told them. "We'll I'm gonna go find Matt and leave you two alone for awhile." He hugged Jess. "I'll meet ya upstairs?"

"Yea. Love ya."

"You better." He gave her a kiss then nodded to Stephanie before walking away.

"Well, at least that seems good." Steph said to her.

"Kind of." Jessica answered. Stephanie looked at her to explain. "Let's keep walking." They circled almost the entire hotel in silence.

"Not that I don't appreciate the workout, but what's going on?" Stephanie finally asked her. "Does it have to do with what happened in the court room?"

"That was the first time I admitted to anybody what Shane had done. Jeff and I went to the park, talked it out. We actually ended up having fun." She paused for a moment then leaned on a nearby ledge.

"Okay, everything was going well, what went wrong?"

"We went back to the hotel to wash up before dinner. He had been so understanding and supportive. I guess I wanted to pay him back; show him how much I appreciated him. We started to make love." Jessica looked to at Stephanie. "Everything was so wonderful and the next thing it was all wrong. I didn't see Jeff anymore, it was Shane. I felt like I was being raped all over again. I just shut down and flipped out."

"Jess," Stephanie said touching her shoulder.

"I just don't understand what happened."

"Honey it was too soon. What you went through was traumatic and the fact that you kept it a secret for so long must have made it worse. Just because you let the truth out doesn't mean it goes away."

"But why now? It wasn't like the first time Jeff and I have done it. I mean we've had sex since we've returned home."

"You have?" Steph looked surprised.

"Well, once. Then the stuff with the court case came up and the nightmares got stronger. He spent most nights calming me down but that's not the point. It doesn't explain why today happened."

"I think it does. You've been blocking it out."

"No." Jessica said defensively.

"Jess, it's okay. As bad as it is, it's what you do so it doesn't surprise me. But today, you admitted it. By doing that you made it real. You can't try to pretend it didn't happen anymore."

"So what, every time I get close to Jeff this is going to happen?"

"No. What you did was huge. It's a step in the right direction. You were never gonna deal with it if you couldn't admit it happened. Now that you did, you can start to heal but it's not going to change overnight. You're going to have to work on it and give yourself some time to handle what you went through. It's not going to be like this forever, I promise."

"But I hurt him." Jessica said softly. "You should have seen the look on Jeff's face. It killed him that I thought he was Shane."

"If I know Jeff he understands. He was probably just scared for you."

"It wasn't just that."

"Jeff loves you and he doesn't want to see you hurt."

"I know that." Jessica said. Stephanie took a good look at her.

"What is it? There's something else bothering you."

"It's just at what point is it too much. I mean, I keep expecting for him to wake up and realize that it's not worth it; that I'm not worth it."

"That's why you wanted to sleep with him?" Stephanie asked and Jessica nodded.

"I know it sounds horrible but I just wanted him to know that I love him and that there's something good in putting up with me.

"Jess, he knows that or he wouldn't be here now. He's crazy about you so don't even think it. Jeff would follow you to hell and back."

"He already has." Jessica commented.

"My point is Jeff isn't going to leave you." She stopped and forced her friend to face her, grasping both of her arms. "Look, it's going to be a bumpy road but eventually it will smooth out. You just have to give it time."

"I don't know."

"Don't do it." Stephanie warned.

"Don't do what?"

"How can I put this gently? I'm your friend and I know you. When things get tough you always expect that everyone's going to leave you."

"Probably because they usually do." Jessica said.

"No they don't."

"Look at my past. My dad, my mom, even Jeff left once."

"That was a mutual leaving." Stephanie reminded her.

"Whatever, it happened. So how am I supposed to believe, especially with as bad as everything is right now that it's not going to happen again?"

"If you expect it to then it probably will. But I will tell you this; if Jeff does leave then this time it will be your fault because you're not giving him a chance. Try believing in him and maybe try believing in yourself."

"I love him."

"Then stop worrying about it and be happy that the two of you are together. Trust that he loves you as much as you love him."

Jessica knew that Stephanie was right and deep down everything Steph said was what she had already been thinking. She just needed someone else to confirm it. And just like that, Stephanie was back in her life the way she was supposed to be. The distance between the two girls was gone.

"You wanna get a drink?" Jess asked her.

"God, I thought you'd never ask." Stephanie said standing back up. "Let's go." They went back into the hotel and made their way to the crowded bar. When they had gotten their drinks they sat down at a table in the corner where it was a little quieter.

"Okay, all we've done is talk about me." Jessica said taking a sip. "What's been going on with you?"

"It has been so hectic, you wouldn't believe it. Between the kids and work, Paul and I get no time to ourselves. But once this trial is all done, I'm hoping Dad will get more involved again and lighten the workload for me."

"The trial. I guess I made a pretty big scene today."

"You could say that. It's the first time I've seen them call for a recess before the session even started." Stephanie laughed.

"So what happened after?"

"I don't know. I had to get back to the kids so I missed it. I tried calling my dad before I came here but he didn't pick up the phone. What about you, did you hear anything?"

"No. We're supposed to call Agent Miller and find out what happened. Plus he'll probably want to yell at us for bailing out."

"There was nothing wrong with you leaving. You did what you had to do so don't take anyone's crap."

"Thanks, I won't." She took another sip.

"Don't look now, but I think we're being watched." Stephanie said.

"What else is new? Somebody's always staring." Jess told her.

"Well, they're not just staring. They're coming over." Jessica glanced to where Stephanie was looking and saw two guys walking up to them.

"Hello ladies." The tall blond one said. "Can we buy you a drink?"

"Thanks but we all ready got one." Stephanie told them.

"The night's still young. How about we join you and see where it goes?"

"Sorry but I'm married." She held up her hand revealing her wedding ring."

"How about you?" The other one asked Jessica.

"I have mental issues." Jessica said with a smile. The two guys shared a confused glance with one another.

"What she means is that we're both in relationships." Stephanie tried telling them but they walked away. "Mental issues?"

"What? It got them to go away and it's not like I was lying about anything."

"You need help."

"That's what everyone keeps saying." Jessica gulped down the rest of her drink. "Come on let's get out of here."

"Fine, I'll walk you to your room." They got up and headed over to the elevator. When it opened up on her floor she was surprised to see Matt and Agent Miller talking outside of his room.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Jess asked.

"We need to talk." Miller told her seriously.

"Look, if it's about what happened today I'm sorry. I just really needed to get away."

"Well it did cause some problems but that's not why I'm here."

"Sounds serious, what's up?"

"Let's go inside." Matt told them.

"I got to go. I left Paul with the kids." Stephanie turned to Jess. "I'll talk to you later?"

"Definitely."

"Actually, Stephanie, you may want to come in for this." Matt said.

"Why?" Jessica questioned them.

"Let's go inside. Jeff's already waiting." Matt opened the door to let them all in."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Hey there baby." Jeff came over to her as soon as she came in.

"What's going on?" She asked after giving him a quick kiss.

"Beats me. Matt was acting strange the entire time I was with him but when I asked all he said was to wait for Miller."

"Why doesn't everyone have a seat then we can get started." Miller told them. Jessica and Jeff sat down on the bed. Instinctively he grabbed her hand.

"So what is it?" Jessica asked.

"Well after your uh, let's call it confrontation, the judge ordered a recess for a few hours so everyone could calm down."

"Yea, Stephanie told me." She said.

"While court was out Steve, that's the prosecutor met with the defense team. There seems that after what occurred there was some concern about putting you through a trial."

"Concerns?" Jessica asked looking to Jeff. She didn't have good feelings about the direction of this conversation.

"They were worried what affect this case would have on you and they didn't think you'd be able to handle the stress of the trial."

"So don't put her on the stand. There's enough in the police report to cover that and I'd be able to testify. Put me up there." Jeff said.

"It's not that simple. They're already arguing that Shane's mental status is what caused him to attack you; that in his eyes he was protecting her from you."

"And they'll believe that?" Jeff asked.

"They got several of the best doctors in the country to testify to that. When it comes to you Shane was not in the right frame of mind. Most of the case is tied into what he did to Jessica. The house, the attacks, the physical assault all show that it wasn't out of love. Shane was cold, calculating and fully aware of what he was doing. Jess was with him the most. She would give a better picture. We need her testimony to corroborate the police report."

"Fine, I'll do it." Jessica told them.

"There are also concerns about your story. How come you didn't tell us about the rape?" Jessica looked away not wanting to answer. He leaned down next to her forcing her to meet his gaze. "I specifically asked you during your interview if Shane sexually assaulted you and you said no."

"Come on, lay off her man, it was a lot to deal with." Jeff said coming to her defense.

"That doesn't change the fact that she lied." Miller told him.

"So what now she's in trouble? He's the one who raped her." Jeff stood arguing.

"Allegedly." Miller added. Infuriated Jeff lunged at him but Matt stood up and came between them.

"Jeff calm down." Matt said.

"She's not lying!" He shouted.

"I'm not saying she is." Miller looked at Jessica. "I saw you in the courtroom and for what it's worth I believe you but the defense would have a field day with it. They'd argue that if you lied about that, who's to say that you didn't lie about anything else you said. They can even say you're making it up."

"I'm not."

"I understand but I'm just telling you what would happen. When you go on that stand they're going to try to tear you apart. It's what they do. They need to discredit you as a witness." Jessica was angered by what Miller was telling her. The rage she had felt earlier in the day returned.

"So let them bring it. Put me up there, I can handle it."

"The prosecutor doesn't believe you can and neither do others."

"What others?" She demanded.

"The judge, Vince."

"Vince? What does he have to do with this?" Jeff asked.

"He expressed concern about Jessica. He thought her testifying may cause more damage to her state and he didn't think it was a good idea."

"Of course he didn't." Jeff exclaimed. "If she testifies, she'll bury his son. Damn it, I knew he was up to something."

"Jeff," He turned and realized Stephanie was in the room. "I don't think he meant that."

"God Steph, don't sit here and defend your father. Not now, not here. He knew what he was doing all along. That's why he came in to check up on her today. He hasn't given a damn in two months and then all of the sudden he comes in talking about being the father she always wanted." He looked to Jessica. "I told you not to trust him."

"Jeff, please." Jessica said pained. She faced Agent Miller. "Do you think that's what he did?"

"No he didn't," Stephanie said standing up. "Jess, he cares about you. He didn't call you, I know that but it's not like he stopped caring. He'd ask me all the time how you were doing."

"Of course, to keep up appearances." Jeff said sarcastically.

"What does this mean?" She turned her attention back to Miller. "Forget Vince, where do we go from here? I mean can't I meet with the prosecutor and convince him that I can do this. He barely even talked to me. How can he know what I'm capable of? I survived all this didn't I? That's got to say something."

This time it was Miller who looked away and Jessica knew she wasn't going to like what he was about to say. She wanted to prepare herself, appear strong but she was just too angry to do so. She looked around at everyone. Jeff stood there gripping his hands like he was ready to kill someone. Stephanie sat on the other bed probably wishing she hadn't stayed. Then there was Matt. He sat next to Stephanie looking guilty because he all ready knew the outcome.

"Just answer me." She demanded.

"It's too late." Miller told her.

"What do you mean it's too late? How can it be too late?" Jessica wanted to know.

"Both Steve and the judge wanted to speak with you but when we got to the holding room you were gone." Miller told her. "Matt couldn't reach you guys so a decision had to be made without you."

"How does anyone else get to make a decision about what I can or cannot do?"

"You weren't there." Miller repeated.

"So what are you saying?" She asked not wanting to put it off any longer.

"In light of your outburst in the courtroom and your previous mental history,"

"What previous mental history?" Jessica cut him off.

"Your breakdown; the suicide attempt,"

"That he drove me to; that should mean something." She countered.

"It was still you attempting to end your own life." He told her softly. He waited for her to argue back but she didn't so he continued. "Due to those two concerns the decision was made that you should not testify."

"No, don't say that. I can to do this. I need to."

"And furthermore without your testimony, the prosecution opted to offer a plea bargain."

"Wait a minute." Jeff yelled. "They're giving him a deal?"

"It was in the best interest of everybody." Miller told him calmly.

"You mean it was in the best interest of Shane." He taunted.

"Jeff, don't take it out on him. He tried to argue against it. He almost got put in contempt of court because he wouldn't stop." Matt informed them.

"Is that true?" Jessica asked him.

"My superior pulled me out of the room." Miller said. Jeff was going to say something else but she stopped him with just the soft touch of her hand. She sat back down on the bed and pulled him down with her for support.

"So what's the deal?" She asked.

"He pleads guilty to,"

"No, don't tell me what lesser charges he's going to cop to. That's only gonna dismiss what he really did to me. I want to know how he pays. What's his sentence?"

"Shane will be confined to a mental institution where he can continue getting the medical treatment the doctor's feel he needs until he is deemed to no longer be a threat to society or himself."

"That's it?" Jeff asked outraged.

"How long?" Jessica asked quieter. "How long before he's out?"

"There's honestly no time frame. He could possibly be there the rest of his life." Miller told her opting for the harsher side of the sentence.

"Or he could be out in a year, maybe even less, right?" Jessica questioned. "I mean he gets to go as soon as the doctors say he's fine." Miller nodded and she couldn't believe it.

"So he stalked me for four years, drove me to a nervous breakdown, tried to kill Jeff, held me against my will, raped me and then shot me and all he gets is some quiet time in a mental hospital till he can con the doctors into thinking he's sane again when it should be obvious to everyone that he never was in the first place? Where the hell is the justice in that?" Miller didn't know how to respond to her. It was a bad deal and he knew it.

"I'm sorry." He told them.

"This isn't over." Jeff said. "We'll get our own lawyer. We'll sue him ourselves. This can't be the worst that can happen to him." Jessica let go of his hand and went to the window. From above she looked down at the cars and the lights in the parking lot until they were no longer blurry from her tears.

"It's not fair." She said finally turning back to Miller. "Do you know I haven't slept through an entire night since this happened? Every night I wake up in fear because of what he's done to me; what he could still do to me. The trial was supposed to give me some kind of closure. That's what everyone told me. I could know that he's somewhere safely behind bars where he could never hurt me again but that's not going to happen. Before you know it he'll be out, moving on with his life but I'll have to deal with this forever and always wonder if he's watching me."

"You don't know how long he's going to be in there and it's not like they're just going to let him out right away. He will be gone for awhile." He tried to convince her but she shook her head.

"You don't know Shane. He's already planning."

"I'm really sorry."

"Jess," Jeff came over to her. "You say the word, tell me what you want us to do and I'll do it. I can get a lawyer; we can sue Shane, Vince, the state of Connecticut anything. It's not over."

"It's as over as it's going to get. Take me home. I'm done."

"You can still appear tomorrow for formal sentencing," Miller told her.

"Why? Is it going to change anything?" Jessica asked all ready knowing the answer.

"No but it will give a chance to confront him and let your voice be heard. You can tell the courts how you feel."

"They don't care about my feelings." She reminded him. "That much they've already shown."

"It's something to think about. If you decide to come you have my number. Just let me know." Miller stretched his hand out to her and she shook it. Jeff grunted but he ignored him. This was not what they had wanted and Miller understood what they were all feeling. Jessica needed this closure and so did Jeff. They wanted her to move on. With this deal the only one who benefitted was Shane. He headed to the door and Matt stood up to shake his hand.

"Thanks a lot." Matt told him.

"If there's any problem, give me a call." Miller told him as he opened the door. He took one last look at the faces in the room. "I wish it would have turned out differently." The agent said before leaving the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Can you believe him?" Jeff asked after Matt had closed the door.

"It wasn't his fault. He was just the lead agent on the case. He doesn't have any say about what goes on in the court room." Matt reminded him.

"Everything Shane did and he practically gets off." Jessica said. "He should be in jail. I just don't get how this could happen."

"Oh, I'll tell you how it happens, money and power." Jeff told her.

"Jeff don't start." Matt said knowing where he was going with this.

"What? Tell me this doesn't have Vince written all over it. He convinced them that Jess couldn't handle testifying. You know he was pushing for a deal all along and the best way to do that was to take her out of the picture."

"It's not true." Stephanie said coming to her father's defense. "You don't really know him. You don't know what he was thinking."

"Come off it Steph. He was trying to save your brother." Jeff argued back.

"Well what would you do? Do you think this was easy? He wanted to do what was best for Jess and yes for Shane but that doesn't make him the villain."

"Doesn't it? Shane was guilty and he helped him. That makes him guilty in my book too."

"I'm not going to argue with you. I don't think it will do any good nor do I think this is the time or place for it." She stood up and gathered her things. Jessica was torn. She wanted to call out to her friend. Stephanie had been hit with this news just like the rest of us. She had no idea what was going on as it wasn't fair for Jeff to take it out on her. Although Jessica had to admit, the way everything had gone down was very convenient for Shane. She understood Jeff's anger. She felt it too. She saw Steph walk to the door.

"Matt, can you walk her out?" Jess asked him. Stephanie turned back and the two girls looked at each other for a moment. "I'll call you tomorrow?" Stephanie nodded then she and Matt went outside. Jessica faced Jeff.

"What?" He asked angrily then immediately softened when he saw the look on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"And Stephanie?"

"She's a McMahon."

"This isn't a battle between us and the McMahon's, okay. We have no idea if Vince was involved."

"Of course he was involved!" Jeff raised his voice. "This has his name written all over it."

"You don't know that."

"How can you be so naïve? They've hurt you in more ways than I can count. How can you still trust them?"

"No, it was Shane who did it. Not Vince, not Linda, and certainly not Stephanie. So just lay off them okay?"

"You know I don't get you." Jeff said. "You're constantly clinging to them, like you can't survive without them."

"They're my family." Jessica reminded him.

"They're not your family. Why can't you see that? Are you that twisted that you think this is what family is? Family supports you and will be there for you no matter what. Is that what they've done? Let's look at the past two months, shall we? How many times have they stopped by to see how you're doing? How many times do you think they've said 'I wonder how Jess is being that our son tortured her for years?' Or better yet, just give me one time when they called to say they loved you or even gave a damn!"

"Why are you doing this?" She asked with tears in her eyes. "Do you think this is actually helping?"

"Oh, I'm sorry maybe because I'm so angry. You may want to try it." He said sarcastically.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jessica shouted at him finally losing her patience. "You don't think I'm angry? I am. I'm angry. I'm hurt and I'm also scared but that doesn't mean I'm going to run around and scream at everyone when they didn't do anything to deserve it. You need to calm down."

"I can't. It shouldn't have ended this way. This wasn't just your closure. It was mine too. I was left for dead. Don't you think I'd have some issues with it that? Everyone seems to have forgotten that. I mean you heard Miller, it was like what he did to me wasn't important."

"In case you missed it? They basically dismissed what he did to both of us! He raped me and no matter how much time passes that's not going to change. This has nothing to do with the McMahons."

"Yes it does!" Jeff slammed his fist down on the table. "It has everything to do with them. So don't try to fool yourself."

Jessica sat back down for a minute frustrated and trying to calm down. She couldn't believe this was happening. Not only did she just find out that Shane wasn't going to get the punishment he deserved but now she was fighting with Jeff about it. This was not what she wanted or needed. He was supposed to be her rock; the person she relied on to make everything okay and again. For the first time in awhile, he wasn't able to do that.

He had a right to be angry. It had been all about her. When anyone discussed it, it was always about she was doing. The talk was about making Shane pay for what he had done to her. No one really talked about what had been done to Jeff. Even she herself hadn't thought about what this trial had meant to Jeff. He had been looking for Shane to pay for his own well being.

"I'm sorry okay?" Jessica said quietly desperate to make things okay again. "If I hadn't lost it in the courtroom this morning, whether or not I was able to stand testifying wouldn't have come into question. There wouldn't have been any doubt about my story. I would be sitting in that chair convincing everyone that Shane was evil and there would be no doubt about when he would be set free. We all would have got what we needed. It's my fault."

Jeff's angered quickly switched to disgust. Not with her, but with himself. She had had a major breakthrough this morning finally admitting that Shane had raped her and now she regretted it because of him. It's true that Shane had done a lot to him but it in no way compared to what Jessica had gone through. It wasn't just physical wounds that she had to recover from. He should be supporting her and telling her it was okay. Instead he made her feel worse. He was the one who should be apologizing. So why couldn't he? He hadn't felt this confused in a long time.

"Look," Jeff started but he didn't know what else to say. He felt the walls closing in. Suddenly he felt trapped. "Don't hate me. This is too much for me. I got to get out of here. I need some air I'm sorry." And with that he walked out of the room. Jessica felt her world fall apart as she was now alone in the room. This is it, she thought. Stephanie had been wrong; they couldn't overcome everything. He's leaving me. She slumped off the bed crumbling onto the floor in despair.

"Shit." Matt said when he entered the room and saw her sobbing on the floor. He ran over to her and tried to help her up but she wouldn't move. "Jess? Where's Jeff."

"He gone." It took a minute for him to understand what she had just said and Matt felt his own anger pulsing through his veins. What the hell was wrong with him? Why would he run off and leave her in the state she was in?

"It's okay. It's all right. I'm here." He placed his hands underneath her and forcibly picked her up then placed her down on the bed. He held her in his arms till she was a little calmer, thinking the whole time how his brother should be doing this. He had known Jeff was angry when he left but he didn't know what happened while he was gone that would cause him to take off.

"What happened?" He asked when she her cries had died down.

"When you guys left, he just kept ranting about how this was all the McMahons' fault and then we started fighting. He was so angry about how everything went down and how everyone seemed to forget what had happened to him. I tried to make things better. I mean I realized that it's my fault the case failed."

"That's not true. Jess this isn't your fault."

"Isn't it? I act up in court and they don't think I can testify. I'm what they built the whole case on. Without me there is no case. Shane gets his comfy plea deal. Not to mention everyone spent so much time focusing on me, we never thought how Jeff was dealing with it. Not even me. If I was any type of real girlfriend I would have-"

"Jess, don't do this. Don't start blaming yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I left the courthouse. If I had stayed then maybe I could have convinced them differently."

"No they should have waited. There was no reason to rush into a decision. That's what Miller had tried to convince them but they wouldn't listen. It was almost like the decision had already been made."

"What are you saying?" She asked him.

"Well, you were supposed to meet the prosecutor before the trial but he didn't even come to look for you. He rarely even called before the start of the trial. Even when we came in, I mean the way he called out your name loud enough for the whole courtroom to hear."

"So you think he wanted a confrontation; that he set me up?"

"I don't know. I'm only going on my gut here. There has to be some explanation for how this turned out." Matt said. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"So I played into their hand." Jessica said shaking her head.

"God, I want to strangle you. The only reason I told you all this was to show you it's not your fault not so you can blame yourself for this too."

"It's just all falling apart."

"So pick the pieces back up. You know when you first came back you kept talking about taking control of your life. Maybe it's time you actually start doing that?"

"I don't know how. I mean I know that's what I've always said but after this, where would I even start?" She asked.

"That's for you to figure out. You have to make those decisions. You can continue being a victim or you can accept what happened, figure out how to deal without and start living your life."

Jessica didn't say anything back, just stared off. Matt hoped that he had gotten through to her. He had wanted to say more but it wasn't his place. He couldn't always tell them what to do. This was something that both Jessica and Jeff would have to deal with themselves.

"Look, why don't we head back to your room and get you ready for bed." Matt said walking to the door.

"Do you think I can stay here tonight, just in case?" She asked looking up at him. "If Jeff doesn't come back, I don't want to be alone."

Matt looked down at her sadly. Stephanie had told him about her fear that Jeff wasn't going to leave her, when he escorted her out. He didn't think she could actually feel that way until now. It dawned on him that Jessica's recovery was going to take a lot more than any of them thought. She didn't have to just deal with what Shane had put her through. She also had to face her past.

"All right but just for tonight." He pulled down the comforter on one of the beds and helped her get in. Shutting off the lights, he went over to the chair and sat down, waiting for her to fall asleep before finding his brother and giving him a piece of his mind.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Matt waited until he was sure Jessica was in a deep sleep before stepping out of the room and gently closing the door. He had tried calling Jeff's cell several times but his brother did not answer. He had to find him and fast. Matt didn't want Jess to wake up before he got back. Besides, he thought to himself, it should be Jeff up there with her not him. When he got down to the lobby he looked around hoping to find him sitting there but he wasn't.

"Where are you?" He muttered to himself. An idea came to him and he walked to the bar; the one place he didn't want to find him. Jeff was there sitting at the counter finishing off a glass of beer.

"Let me have another," he said to the bartender as Matt sat down next to him.

"So let me get this straight, you leave Jess alone upset in my room so you can come down here and get drunk? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"At least let me have another drink before you yell at me." Jeff told him.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna let you finish that." Matt took the beer that had just been put down and pulled it out of Jeff's reach.

"Hey give that back!"

"No. You need to go back up to your hotel room and take care of your girlfriend. Jesus Jeff, how could you leave her like that?"

"Is she okay?"

"She's asleep, finally. You really did a number on her walking out like that."

"I fucked up and I had to get out before I made it worse." Jeff ran his hand through his hair. "She apologized to me. Can you believe it? She thinks this is all her fault and I made her feel that way."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I just got so angry about what happened that I started to take it out on her. With everything that's happened she continued to defend the McMahon's. I mean why can't she see what the rest of do?"

"The same reason I was up there defending you when you were wrong. That's her family. It's got to be hard for her to believe that Vince would do that. Especially since they just reconnected today, she probably can't imagine he'd do that to her."

"Yea, well I can."

"That doesn't matter. What's important is that you go back up there and let her know everything's going to be okay, right now."

"I can't." Jeff said getting up from his chair not even paying the tab. Matt threw some money down before following him out of the bar.

"Where do you think you're going?" Matt asked grabbing his arm.

"Look just leave me alone!"

"No." Matt yelled at him. "Not until I knock some sense into you."

"How can I go up there and tell her everything is okay when it's not? That son of a bitch is going to get away with it. With everything, and no one seems to care. What about everything he's done to Jess and me? That doesn't matter? He tried to kill me."

"That's what this is about isn't it? What Shane did to you?" Matt asked him.

"Yes, I mean no…" He looked away. "I don't know."

"Well you better figure it out cause until you do it's not going to get better for you or Jess. You're no good to her like this."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Jeff's voice carried throughout the lobby. Several people stared obviously but no one dared interrupt them.

"Grow up and deal with it. It's not about you right now."

"What the hell? Shane tricked me, held me against my will, beat me to within an inch of my life, then left me for dead as he took her away from me. How is it not about me?"

"Look, what Shane did to you was bad."

"Bad?" Jeff interrupted him.

"Your wounds are gone. The only thing I see that hasn't healed is your pride but what he did to Jess was far worse. She was violated. He took something from her that no matter how hard she tries she can't get it back. If you really love her then you'll remember that. She needs your help. She wants your help." Matt looked at his brother. He felt bad yelling at him but again, it was what he needed. Jeff slumped down on the nearest chair.

"I was scared. I never felt like that before. I mean yea, I've been scared but nothing compared to that. It wasn't even the thought that I was dying. It was that I couldn't help her. He was taking her away and I couldn't stop it. I did everything wrong. Then at trial this morning…" His voice cracked. "He raped her. I couldn't even save her from that."

"Look you can't change what happened to either of you. That's already done but you still can save her." Matt put his arm protectively over him. "Save her from herself. She's taking it bad Jeff and I don't want to see her get worse. She needs you and you need her."

"I'm not sure I know how to help her."

"If you don't try, you'll never know."

"Where is she now?" Jeff said standing up.

"She's still in my room. I waited until she fell asleep."

"Then I guess we should go up." Jeff followed Matt up to their rooms. Matt opened the door and waited for Jeff to come in but he paused. "Just give me a chance to freshen up first. I don't want to go in reeking of alcohol. I don't want her to know what I was doing." Matt was going to protest but he stopped.

"All right but make it quick. It's been one long day and I need some sleep." Matt told him. He handed him his key. "If I'm asleep let yourself in. Try to keep it down though. I'll see you in the morning."

"All right." Jeff turned but then paused again. He faced his brother. "Thanks a lot man." They hugged before Jeff went to his room to change.

He entered his hotel room and headed into the bathroom. After washing his face he took a quick look into the mirror. He saw the bags under his blood shot eyes. He took a swig of mouthwash then checked his breath before leaving the bathroom. He pulled out a clean shirt and quickly changed into it. Jeff hadn't been in his room for more than ten minutes when he heard a panicked knock at the door. He opened it to find his brother there.

"She's not there man."

"Wait, what do you mean she's not there?"

"I went inside and used the bathroom. When I got back out I went to get my bed ready. I needed to turn the light on for a minute and that's when I saw the bed empty. I swear to god, she was asleep when I left." Matt said something else but Jeff took off for the other hotel room. When he got there it was just as Matt had said. The other bed had appeared slept in but it was definitely empty. He looked around for a note but there was nothing there.

"Where the hell is she?"

"Son of a bitch." Matt yelled. "She did it again."

"Did what?"

"My keys are gone."

"Are you sure?" Jeff went to the window and peered out at the parking lot. The car was gone and Jessica with it. Now what?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jessica pulled the car up in front of the McMahon's property and contemplated turning back. What was she really doing here, she questioned. It was after midnight and most likely Vince and Linda were already fast asleep.

"Like you should be." She spoke aloud. Matt hadn't realized it, but she hadn't fallen asleep. There were too many thoughts swirling through her mind to allow her to get any rest. All she could do was replay her argument with Jeff over and over again. When she heard Matt leave she immediately sat up and turned on the lights. Not sure what to do, she contemplated going to find Jeff to make sure he was okay but she didn't, fearful that he might have already left. Besides it was probably what Matt had went to do.

She turned on the television to escape but with the nightly news on almost every channel there was not escape. She watched as a clip of Vince and Linda exciting the court house was shown. She was going to turn it off but something stopped her. Vince smiled. Listening to him talk to the reporters Jessica felt overcome with nausea. He actually seemed happy with the results.

"At least now it's over." He said. "Jessica has gotten her justice and we'll be able to move on. I'm just glad Shane will get the medical treatment he so desperately requires to once again benefit society."

Jessica turned off the TV disgusted. Justice? Did he honestly think that this was the justice she had been looking for? Shane gets sent to a mental hospital instead of a prison cell. How was she supposed to move on knowing that he could get out at any time? Not waiting to calm down, she grabbed the keys and headed out the door to confront him.

She had been so sure of herself but now sitting in the car in front of their house all her bravado was gone. She never should have left the hotel. By now Matt or even Jeff had returned to the room and realized she was gone. She thought about calling them to let her know she was okay but they would only demand she come back immediately and she had to know if what they thought was true. Was it really possible that Vince had orchestrated this whole thing? And if he did, could she really handle it?

Determined to get to the truth she pulled up the driveway and parked the car. Pushing back her nerves she went up to the front door and rang the doorbell. When she got no response, she pressed it a few more times before letting her finger rest on it permanently. Finally she saw a light turn on inside the house.

"There better be a good reason for …" Vince's voice trailed as he opened the door and saw Jessica standing there. "Is everything, are you okay?" He struggled with his words still surprised to see her.

"Jessica, come in." From behind him, Linda moved into view. She moved Vince aside and took the girls hand. "It's cold out. You must be freezing."

Jessica followed her into the den and sat down on the couch while Vince and Linda sat on the opposite one. The three of them stared at one another each one not sure what to say next. Jessica watched as they shared an awkward glance. Linda squeezed her husband's hand urging him to speak.

"How did you get here?" Vince finally asked.

"I drove."

"Where are Matt and Jeff?"

"Back at the hotel."

"They let you out alone?" He asked his voice rising slightly.

"I'm a big girl." She said defensively. "Besides they're not really big fans of you right now."

"What did I do now?" He looked confused. Hoping it was genuine she went on.

"Did you have anything to do with what happened today; anything at all to do with the plea deal?" She watched closely as Linda looked away. Vince on the other hand held her gaze.

"I'm not quite sure what you are getting out."

"I thought I was being fairly clear. Jeff thinks you arranged it and Matt well he thinks it's all a little suspicious the way everything happened so quickly. So I guess I want to know if it's true." Vince didn't say anything which confirmed it for her. "Well I guess that's it." She stood up and headed for the door but stopped.

"No, you know what? It's not. I want to know why? Why would you do that to me? I needed this. You knew that but you didn't care."

"That's not what I did. I did it for you. I saw what happened this morning in the court room; what just seeing Shane did to you. Then with what happened after, I didn't want you to go through that again. So yes, I told them I didn't think you would be able to handle the trial."

"That wasn't your decision to make. It was mine and I could have gotten through it just fine."

"I didn't want to take that chance. A lot has happened to you and I just don't know how much more you can take. I did it for you."

"You did it for Shane. You don't care what happens to me; what I need. If you did than you wouldn't have arranged this deal. I needed to see Shane punished."

"He will be."

"No, he won't. He's in a mental hospital, in a warm bed when he should be rotting in a cold cell and you helped put him there."

"I was only trying to help."

"Don't even try it because I'm done listening. Stay the hell away from me. Don't call me. Don't write me. Don't talk to me. We're done." She walked out of the room and out the door slamming it so hard the glass broke. She turned back to look at the shatters on the floor.

"Jess, wait." Linda called out to her. She came out and looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Please, don't leave like this. Give him a chance to explain or at least explain it better."

"I can't. Not right now. I'm sorry."

"I think you're making a mistake. Don't shut us out. You need as much family as you can get."

"How could we be a family? Too much had happened and that's okay. I should have seen it coming. It's not like you could have chosen to protect me over your first born. No matter what promises were made."

"Honey," Linda started. "At least take some time. Don't make any decisions before you've had a chance to think about it. I know you're upset and you have every right to be. I just don't want you to do something you'll regret and I don't want to lose you either. So just think about. We'll give you your space, I promise. After you've thought about it and you've come to a decision you know where to find us."

"It's cold out. You should go inside." Jessica finally said not relenting.

"Jess,"

"Please, just go." She told her. Linda nodded than quietly stepped to the door. They both heard the sounds of the crushing glass that had fallen on the steps. Linda looked back at her. "I'm sorry about the door. I'll clean it up before I leave."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it in the morning. Please be careful." She watched Linda walk back into the house. Jessica had to hold everything back to stop herself from running back in there and letting everything go. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to cut the McMahon's off from her life.

She stared at the shards of glass on the ground; her face reflected back from the moonlight. This is it, she sadly thought to herself. That broken glass was her relationship with Vince and Linda. It was done. Shattered into many pieces and no matter how hard they tried; they wouldn't be able to put it back together. She reached down picking up the larger pieces, bringing them to the trash can. In her struggle to open the lid of the pail one of the pieces cut into her arm. She quickly dropped them into the receptacle before heading to the car.

"Nice going." She muttered watching the blood surface. She looked to the back and saw Matt's jacket in the back. She grabbed it and pressed it against the wound before starting up the car.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jessica had gotten almost half way to the hotel before she realized she wasn't ready to go back. Her earlier confrontations with both Jeff and Vince still weighed heavily on her mind, and she knew when she finally showed her face back at the hotel there would be two angry faces with a lot of questions for her to answer. That was something she just couldn't handle right now. She drove herself around for awhile before coming to stop at the park.

It was amazing, she thought to herself. She had left the park a few short hours ago thinking everything was going to be okay. She had had a boyfriend who would do anything for her, and a family that would always be there to protect her. It's funny how a couple of hours could change everything. She walked down the now dark path back to the bench she and Jeff had shared thinking about the events of the day, mainly Jeff and Vince.

As hard as she knew it would be, she was fairly sure she could go it alone without Vince and even without Linda. She had gotten past the last few months hadn't she? But she knew she couldn't get through it without Jeff. He understood her the most; he knew what she was going through because he had gone through it too. So why was it when it really counted they were both alone. While he had walked out on her, she hadn't followed after him. That hadn't even been an option to her. Even now, she was more content to sit on a park bench alone in the middle of the night then to face him. Jessica remembered what Stephanie had said earlier and maybe she was right. She did expect everyone to leave her and when she should have followed after Jeff to confront their anger and not let him sulk off, she instead chose to crumble to the ground and play the victim.

"Take control of your life." She said aloud.

"I'm sorry, I missed that." Jeff stood out from behind the tree walking towards her. "I figured you'd end up here. I just didn't think it would take so long. I had almost given up when you walked by me."

"I didn't even realize you were here." She looked away.

"I figured as much. I was going to say something but… you looked like you needed to be alone." He told her.

"So you just stood there and watched?"

"You make it sound creepy. Let's just say I kept guard." He sat down next to her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked away like that. Until we came up here, I hadn't realized how angry I was about everything. I kept focusing on you."

"I'm sorry."

"No, that's not what I want and that's why I had to get out of there tonight. You shouldn't be apologizing. Jess, you had an amazing breakthrough today and you should be proud of it. But when I was there and you started blaming yourself, I felt horrible. I was being selfish."

"You had a lot to deal with too. Shane tried to kill you." She told him.

"But he didn't. I survived thanks to you and this is how I repay you?" He paused for a moment taking her hand. "When we were here earlier, I knew just what to say but now…I don't know."

"What makes it different now?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to say the wrong thing. It's just that I have these moments of greatness, where everything that comes out of my mouth to you is exactly what I want to say, and then something happens and I'm scared to talk. I don't get it. Why can't I be that guy all of the time?"

"Because you're human, look Jeff, I know for awhile that's what I was expecting of you but that's not fair. It wouldn't be right to ask that of anyone. It's going to be a long road and I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, apparently a whole lot. So if I'm gonna screw up I can't ask you to be perfect. I'm just asking for you to be here, not just for me and not for you either, but for us."

"I promise." He swore taking her in his arms. This time there were no kisses or tender caresses, just warmth in one another and that was enough. They stayed there for awhile before Jessica finally broke the silence.

"Matt must be worried sick."

"I already called him, as soon as I saw you, so he knows where we are."

"Wow, I guess I was really out of it. Is he angry?"

"No, he was just glad I found you and that you were safe but he did say he was going to start hiding his keys." He told her and she laughed.

"That'll probably be better for all of us."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked her.

"Talk about what?"

"Well, when we saw you were gone, we kind of flipped out and called Miller. No it's okay," He said when she groaned. "We were just worried and he understood. He called around and then Linda called and told us you had been there."

"I made a fool of myself."

"Why did you go there?"

"Because I had to know if what everyone kept saying was true, if Vince sold me out to save his son."

"Was it?" He asked her and she nodded.

"He didn't say it in as many words but one look at Linda confirmed it. She couldn't even look me in the eyes as Vince stood there and backpedaled. He kept trying to make it look like he had done this all for me but I knew it wasn't true. After all these years, I can finally figure out when Vince is lying."

"So what does this mean? Do you want to get a lawyer? Do you want to fight it?"

"No. I'm done with all this court nonsense. Fighting it is only going to drag it out. What's done is done. I just want to go back to living."

"What about the McMahon's? Where do they fit in all of this?"

"They don't." She said softly, believing it for the first time. "Well maybe Stephanie still. I'm not ready to give up my best friend but as for Vince and Linda that door is closed." She slightly laughed.

"What?" He questioned and she explained what happened. "Only you would volunteer to clean it up."

"Well they say there's a sucker born any minute."

"Why do you that? Every time somebody does you wrong you make it seem like it's your fault but it's not."

"I don't know. Maybe it's just easier. They've cared for me my whole life what other explanation could there be for hurting me like that."

"It was nothing you did. They made the decision to interfere instead of letting justice run its course. It was their mistake not yours."

"Then why am I the one who feels bad?"

"Probably because it's another chapter of your past that you have to close; another part of your family that's gone. You can get through this though, like you've gotten through everything else. You're stronger than you think and you have a lot of people who believe in you."

"Like you?"

"Most definitely," he hugged her tighter and she sighed.

"It's gonna get easier right?"

"I promise." He told her.

"Good then let's talk about something happier." She said ready to change the topic.

"Okay, so camping."

"Oh god, not that again." She jokingly tried to pull away from him.

"Come on, it's not that bad. Nature can be good too."

"I don't see how."

"Here, follow me." He pulled her up and led her over to the grass then laid down. "Lay down next to me."

"Jeff…"

"Jess, humor me." He told her and she did as he wanted. "Now look up. See all the stars? That's nature. Look at how big it is. It's its own way of reminding us that we're not alone and that there is so much more to the world then we know of."

"And how does that help me?"

"It just puts things into perspective besides its peaceful and isn't that just what we need right now, a little peace and quiet, just you and me and no other distractions."

"Maybe," She said continuing to look at the stars. "But it is beautiful."

"Like you." He told her draping his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest.

"I like this." She told him. "Do you think we can stay all night?"

"As much as I would love to, I think I should get you back to the hotel. Matt's probably staying up until we can get back. Besides the park closed at dark and being that it's like three o'clock in the morning, I don't think they'd appreciate it if they found us here."

"Probably not," She agreed. "Don't want to get in any more trouble." She started to get up but Jeff pulled her back.

"Well, maybe just a few more minutes. I'm not ready to let you go." She laid back into him and they stayed for awhile till eventually getting up and heading back to the hotel.

It turned out after being assured that she was safe, Matt did indeed go to bed so Jessica and Jeff headed to their hotel room where they quickly got undressed before climbing into bed and back into each other's arms. As she closed her eyes and listened to Jeff's steady breathing, she remembered the stars and prayed for a few hours of blissful sleep, which is exactly what for the first time in awhile they both got.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jeff woke to the sound of his cell phone ringing. Not wanting Jessica to wake, he quickly picked it up. He had to smile as he watched her sleeping peacefully. Remembering he had a phone call he gently got off the bed and headed into the bathroom to take it.

"Hello?" He said once he shut the door.

"Dude, are you guys still asleep?" Matt asked.

"Well obviously I'm not thanks to you. Jeez, you'd think you would have given us a little more time to sleep considering everything that happened. Not to mention we didn't get back till after four."

"I did wait. It's almost noon." Matt told him.

"Wow, I didn't realize it was that late. Look, let me get dressed and then you can come over. Give me about an hour." Jeff was going to hang up but stopped. "Bring some food with you will ya? I'm starved. Oh and how about you pay for it this time?"

"Maybe," Matt joked. "I'll see ya in a bit." Jeff hung up the phone right as Jessica entered the bathroom.

"You're awake?"

"Yea, it was lonely without you. Who was on the phone?" She asked giving him a kiss.

"Matt, he's coming over in a little while with breakfast."

"Good, all this drama has made me hungry. I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks."

"Well, you really haven't, at least not enough. It's time we get some meat on your bones."

"What you don't like the slimmer me?"

"I like the healthy you." He answered wrapping his arms around her waist. "Now give me another kiss then let me take a shower."

"Okay." She smiled and kissed him again. She went back into the bedroom and pulled out some clothes to wear for the day. She watched television while she waited making sure to avoid any news programs. She wanted to spend the morning Shane free. When Jeff was out it was her turn and it wasn't long before Matt was there with trays of food for all of them to eat.

"You know, you really have to cut down on your ordering." Jessica said as she grabbed some food.

"Hey no complaints here," Jeff piled his plate high. They all sat down and ate their breakfast talking in between bites and generally having an enjoyable meal.

"Man, I can't believe we ate it all." Jessica said placing her plate on the tray.

"Yeah, it's a good thing I ordered so much. I guess someone got there appetite back."

"Kinda." She smiled at him then walked over to the dresser. She grabbed Matt's keys; handing them back to him. "Sorry about that."

"Don't mention it. Really, I don't think I'd live it down if everyone found out you stole my car again."

"I only borrowed it besides, it's a rental."

"Which brings us to the topic of the day," He said standing up. "Miller called and wanted to know what are plans are. He's still hoping one of you wanted to speak at the sentencing. So do you guys want to go or do you want to get out of here?" Jessica and Jeff looked at each other.

"It's up to you" Jeff told her.

"No, it's up to both of us. I personally have nothing I want to say right now but if you need to then I understand." Jeff thought about what she just said and although he was grateful for her thinking of his needs, all he could think about was how much he thought she needed this. He knew she was avoiding the problem and if he continued to let her things would only get worse; she would get worse. Maybe if he went she would get the courage to speak as well.

"I think I want to. I have some things I need people to hear." He told her and at first she looked slightly alarmed but she recovered quickly not wanting to show it.

"Okay then, Matt call Miller. Let him know we're on our way. Excuse me a minute, I have to use the bathroom before we leave." She rushed out of the room.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Matt asked his brother.

"She needs to confront him. If we go she might change her mind."

"What if she doesn't? How are you going to make her do something she doesn't want to do?"

"I'll think of something." Jeff quietly said as Jessica came back out.

"Ready to go?" She asked them both.

"You sure you're okay with this?" Jeff came up to her.

"Yeah but just one thing. When we're done, can we get out of here? I really just want to go home."

"Absolutely, we can fly out today if you want."

"Thanks." They grabbed their things and hurried out the door arriving at the courthouse rather quickly. Already anticipating their arrival, Miller was outside waiting for them.

"Now, it took some work but I got permission for you guys to speak." He told them as he ushered them into the courthouse.

"Just Jeff's going to speak." Jessica reminded them.

"Why was it hard?" Jeff asked.

"Well, it's normally not procedure what with it being a plea. His sentence has already been agreed upon but at least you can be heard."

"Thanks. Can you guys give us a second?" He waited for them to walk away before taking Jessica's hand. "Thank you for coming with me. It's important that they know I'm not okay with this. I need this."

"I understand." She told him surprised by his confession. It dawned on her that Jeff was trying to start his healing. She only wished she was able to do the same but she didn't think she had the strength. She softly touched his cheek before they walked into the courtroom.

When they walked in there were whispers among the crowd. Vince and Linda turned to face them but Jessica ignored them both. Keeping her head up, she walked to the front and sat down at the opposite end of them. Matt and Jeff sat on both sides of her as Jeff never let go off her hand. She focused on the front of the courtroom aware that he had started to fidget.

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I just didn't think I'd be nervous but I'm all right."

"You could do this." She reminded him as he smiled back. The judge came out and the room was called to order. Jessica couldn't focus on what was being said, worried about Jeff.

"Now I understand one of the victims would like to say something before I pass sentencing."

"Yes, your honor." The prosecutor said. He motioned for Jeff to come forward but he didn't move. Jessica looked at his panicked face.

"Honey, it's okay." Jessica told him softly. She wasn't used to seeing him like this. She had seen him angry before but not scared like this.

"I can't." He whispered his eyes full of fear. Jessica looked at him not sure what to do. A few moments ago he was talking about how important it was to him that they know they don't agree with the situation, how much he needed this and now he was unable to follow through. If neither of them said anything she knew he would regret it.

"Does the victim still wish to speak?" The judge asked impatiently. Jeff looked at her again and she took a deep breath not believing what she was about to do.

"It's okay." She told him. "I can do it for you." She rose from her seat.

"Dude, that was so wrong." Matt said quietly to his brother as Jessica walked up to the podium.

"I got her to speak didn't I?

What am I doing up here? Jessica thought to herself as she nodded to the judge. She wasn't ready and didn't know what to say. She looked back to Jeff who gave her a reassuring look. Suddenly his fear was gone and she realized she had been duped. She took a deep breath before starting.

"You'll have to bear with me. Originally I wasn't the one who was going to speak, Jeff was but that's not important. We both have the same opinion. When I first came back up here, I had such hopes for this trial. I needed, and Jeff needed closure; we need restitution for what Shane McMahon did to us. Now we all know that when I got here, I lost control and I apologize for that. But I don't think everyone here realizes why I did."

"For the past four years, Shane has been terrorizing me. I don't know if it's because in his twisted mind he really did love me or if I was just easy target because I was weak. He drove me to try to kill myself and even though the courts don't feel he was responsible for that, I do. To make matters worse he helped with my recovery bringing me back just so he can do it all over but again in the eyes of this court, that's not his fault."

"Shane McMahon tortured me. He kept me locked up in idealized fantasy where there was no escape. Then when I did attempt the impossible, I was beaten, I was shoved to the ground, and I was raped. To add one more measure, I was shot before finally being freed from that place. But him raping me, that affected me the most. The past two months have been nothing but a nightmare. I've replayed that moment over and over again. It consumed me but not anymore." She faced Shane. "I won't give you that satisfaction. It's over. I don't agree with the court's decision. I think this plea is a raw deal for Jeff and me but it's too late to change anything so I have to accept it and I will. I just hope that after I've shared this the world knows a little more about who you really are."

"I'm still standing and I'll continue to, because I'm in control now. When this is done and they cart you off, we're going to go home and we're going to live our lives, together. I guess the only solace I get in this whole thing is that in the end Jeff and I are still together. As hard as you tried, you didn't break that." The stone face that Shane had been giving her cracked and she smiled knowing she hit him where it counts.

"We love each other." She continued getting in another dig. "I could try and say that I hope you finally get the help you need but I know you. So enjoy your stay until you've convince them you're fine but I want you to know when you do finally con them into releasing you, it's not going to matter. You are out of my life. You are out of our lives." She took one last look at him and then thanked the judge before going back to her seat. Jeff stood up and hugged her proudly as they sat back down.

"Thank you Miss Murdock," The judge started. "And I want you to know that I understand your dissatisfaction with the outcome. Justice will be served under the circumstances. The defense will please rise for sentencing." They watched as Shane and his team of lawyers stood.

"The defendant will be remanded to a state run hospital for treatment until he is no longer a threat to himself or society. And Mr. McMahon, I want you to know that I will be watching your case very carefully. There will be no easy out and I am not a person to play your games with. I assure you that if you fake your treatment or try to deceive the courts in any way I will know and deal with it accordingly. This case is closed." The judge pounded her gavel before heading out of the courtroom.

Jessica watched as Shane hugged his parents before being led away. He took one last look toward her giving a menacing glare. She couldn't help but smile back as the officers came over and escorted him out of the room. She turned her smile to Jeff and hugged him.

"I'm proud of you." He told her.

"Yea, well you know I'm going to kill for that when we get home."

"Home, that sounds nice." He told her giving her a kiss. "What do you say we go back to the hotel, grab our things and catch the next plain out of here?"

"That's fine with me. I've had enough of this place."

"Shall we?" Jeff asked putting out his hand. She took and they turned to leave but Stephanie was standing right in front of them. Jessica tensed up for a moment not sure what her reaction would be. She didn't know if Steph even knew about her confrontation with Vince and Linda last night, but Jess was more fearful of what she would say about her speech today. While it hadn't changed the outcome of Shane's sentence, it hopefully let people know what kind of person he really was. Stephanie hugged her tightly and Jessica knew it was going to be okay.

"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked when they released each other.

"Yea." Jessica smiled at her. "For the first time in awhile I am."

"Good because you deserve it. I still can't believe you did it. What changed your mind? Last night you said you didn't want to do it."

"Yea, well I kind of got tricked into it." She pinched Jeff's arm.

"I'm glad he did." Stephanie said. "I mean look at you. You're smiling. You look happier than I can remember seeing for a long time."

"I know. I almost forgot what it felt like."

"So what's up next?"

"Next, we go home." Jeff said putting his arm around Jess.

"Yea." Jess agreed. "It's time I start doing what I just said I would, start living again."

"Good for you, for both of you." Her genuine smile caused Jeff to feel a twinge of guilt remembering how he yelled her.

"Look Steph, I'm sorry about last night." He started.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's understandable."

"Thank you but it's still not excusable. I know you always have Jess' best interest at heart."

"Let's just say we start over again." She smiled at him then looked at her watch. "Well I hate to cut this short but I left Paul alone with the kids again and I should go rescue him. Call me as soon as you get home?"

"Of course." Jessica told her then gave her a hug. Surprisingly Jeff did the same thing and she couldn't have been prouder.

Watching Stephanie walk away, she was amazed at how good she was feeling. Maybe in the end, she did get the closure she had needed or at least part of it. Sensing a crowd of reporters building up, Jeff and Matt pulled her to towards the door. The throng of reporters made it difficult for them to get through. Questions were being thrown at her left and right. Determined to get her out, Matt pulled her arm harder and she bumped into someone. She was going to apologize but Vince grabbed her arm as well.

"What do you think you're doing?" She yelled at him.

"I needed to talk to you." Vince told her.

"I said all I needed to say last night."

"At least let me help you out of here." He insisted looking around the room. Of course, she thought to herself. He wants the publicity. Vince escorting her out would definitely make a clip on the evening news. All he was looking to do was repair the damage Jessica had done.

"I don't need your help. Nothing's changed and I meant what I said. So you can forget your good guy shot. I'm done." She pulled her arm free. "Now if you'll excuse me. I'm going home with my family." With that she took Jeff and Matt's hands and they left the courtroom together.


	15. Chapter 15

**So sorry it has taken so long to update. Things have been hectic and then my computer died but everythings good now so on with the update.**

Chapter 15

Vince watched them walk down the hallway and out of the court house. He wished he could follow them and tell her she was wrong. He wasn't doing any of this for publicity. At this moment his public image was the last thing on his mind. He had to get her out of there and fast.

"Well that went well." A voice said from behind him. Vince turned and faced the reason he had wanted Jessica to leave so quickly. It was the very man she had almost apologized for knocking into, Andrew Murdock, her father.

"Actually it did. Seeing you was the last thing she needed right now. What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you too." Andrew laughed. "It's funny. I didn't think you'd still recognize me."

"It's a good thing I did. She's trying to get her life back on track. She doesn't need you distracting her."

"Apparently, she doesn't want your help either."

"I meant what I said. Leave her alone and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of." Vince warned.

"I'm not the same man anymore."

"Oh, I'm sure you are. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Vince, it's been a long time. People change." He paused for a minute. "I only came to see her. I wasn't going to say anything or approach her."

"Why now? You haven't seen her since she was ten."

"That doesn't mean I never thought about her, because I have. Then she was abducted, and her face was everywhere. I tried to look away and not follow it but how could I not? This was my daughter they were talking about."

"No it wasn't and you know that. She's not your daughter. If she was then you would have been there for her. You would have helped her when she needed it, like when she was younger and cried herself to sleep every night, or when she struggled to pass her classes because she was too busy wondering what was going to happen when her mother died and she was all alone. You weren't there for any of that."

"But you were right? Well how about the time she was being stalked but some nut intent on making her life hell? Oh wait, that was your son." Andrew stared Vince down then his face softened. "We all make mistakes. What matters is how we fix them. I want to fix mine. I want to talk to her."

"Absolutely not."

"You can't stop me, Vince."

"You're right I can't but think about what it will do to her. She's come so far in just a few days. Jess is focusing on her future. You coming back will bring every issue she's ever had to the fore front. That's not what she needs right now. If you really care about her like you claim, you won't do this. As much as it will hurt me, I'll stay away from her right now, because that's what she needs and what she wants. Are you able to do the same thing?"

"She hasn't told me she doesn't want me to be a part of her life."

"You took yourself out. You didn't do the right thing then. Just try to do the right thing now." Vince didn't say anything else. He just walked away back into the courtroom and his waiting wife.

"Was that who I think it was?" Linda asked.

"Yea."

"Did Jessica see him?"

"No, she was too busy telling me off."

"I warned you this would happen." She told him.

"I know but I had to do what I thought was best, for both of them."

"She's alone now." Linda said softly. "What if she needs somebody?"

"She's not alone. She has Stephanie and the Hardy's and right now that's what she wants."

"She has no idea how many threats she's been getting and neither do Matt and Jeff. They're clueless about everything that's been going on. She could be in real danger. I can't just walk away."

"We're not walking away. I'll figure a way to keep an eye on her. I'll pay someone if I have to besides if there really are any serious problems Stephanie will tell us."

"I hope you're right."

"I am." Vince squeezed Linda's hand. "Why don't you head on home. I'm just going to make sure everything with Shane is said up."

"I'd like to speak to him to."

"Not yet." He looked at her preparing for an argument. "He needs time to get settled; focus on his treatment. Besides, Shane needs to see that we're not okay with what he did."

"So why are you going?"

"One of us needs to make sure everything is okay and I can keep a stern face longer. Please, let me do this." Linda eventually agreed and he kissed her goodbye before he got into his own car and drove to the hospital. He paused by the giant sign in front of the property. He couldn't believe he was actually driving to the state mental institution to check on his son.

Wondering where he went wrong he pulled onto the property, stopping at the gate for clearance before heading inside. When he walked in he was overwhelmed by the depressing state of the building. From appearances it was your typical state run building; it was just what type of building it was that affected him. He made his way up to the fourth floor where he was again stopped by security and sent to a waiting area.

"Mr. McMahon?"

"Steve, how are you?" Vince shook the hand of Dr. Steven Bromley. He was going to be Shane's lead doctor and had known Vince for a long time. Vince knew he took the assignment as a favor to him. "Thanks again for doing this for me."

"It's no problem but I got to warn you this will not be easy. I'm here to really help Shane, not to help him avoid prison."

"I know that, I just hope Shane does."

"Trust me, he will. So far he's been making good progress and hopefully now that the trial is over we can continue. If you follow me, I'll let you see him." Vince followed him through the halls.

"It looks like a prison." He commented.

"Vince, his mental status withstanding, your son committed several serious crimes. On this floor, it is a prison; just one with a little more hope." He nodded to the guard who unlocked the security doors. "He's the third room on the left. I'll give you a few minutes alone with him. When you're ready just come out, I'll be waiting. Remember, you shouldn't even be in here yet. I'm just doing this as a favor, so make it quick" Vince nodded at him then walked into the room. He saw Shane sitting on a chair staring out at the window.

"Shane,"

"Dad, it's good to see you. Is mom here?" He asked and Vince's heart cracked. He seemed so childlike, like the little boy he used to proudly parade around all of his friends. The only problem was Vince still couldn't tell if it was real or an act.

"No, they would only let one of us in to see you, so I sent your mother home."

"Okay, next time then."

"Shane, do you understand what is happening."

"The doctors are going to make me all better so I won't hurt Jessica again."

"Right." Vince said guardedly. "Or anyone else."

"I know and then when I'm better I can make everything okay again. Do you think Jess will come?"

"Why?"

"So I can apologize. She didn't seem to accept my apology yesterday and she seemed really angry today. I hope eventually they'll let me see her."

"You won't be seeing her. I don't want you to ever see her. Shane this isn't a joke. You may have avoided hard time, and I put myself on the line to see to that, but you will take it seriously. Don't think you can fool everyone here, and don't think you can fool me. I know what you said in that courtroom yesterday. Now I don't know if it was a moment of insanity, or a moment of clarity but you admitted to raping her. So if this is real then I do hope you get the help you need, but if this was all an act, then you need their help more than ever. You better listen up, it might do you good." Shane looked at him blankly and Vince had no idea what that meant. He realized he had no idea what went on in his son's mind and he might never. Exasperated he headed to the door.

"I love you dad." Shane called out after him.

"Take care, son." Vince said shaking his head before leaving the room.

The seriousness in Shane's face faded to a grin once Vince was gone. The conflicted look in his father's face was priceless to him. He flashed through the court proceedings of the past few days. While it wasn't exactly as he had planned he couldn't be any happier with the results. He had been looking at life in prison but thanks to his father, and Jessica's flip out that didn't happen. And while this place was no Club Med, it was certainly a lot better than prison. Now all he had to do was play along, until he got out of here. He had fooled his own family for years so it shouldn't be too hard to fool a bunch of strangers. Yup, he thought to himself, everything is just how it was supposed to be.

"Well not everything." He said. "Jessica."

He gently touched the bruise on his forehead from where she had clocked him. He hadn't expected that. Shane had been counting on her to lose it when she saw him, just not that physical. She was weak, she was supposed to crumble; not run through the courtroom and attack him. Plus she brought him.

He remembered her words as she addressed the court, and the sarcastic smile she gave him as she left. He had spent years working on her; she was not supposed to be that strong.

"Hardy," He muttered. They still loved each other. After everything he had done, there should have been no way they could have picked up the pieces. But they did and that angered him more than anything. They were moving on with their happy life while he was trapped here to watch a bunch of morons play doctor.

His plan had to change so they would all pay. Everyone who ruined what he had worked so hard for. Jeff, Matt, and everyone else that had stood in his way, even Jessica, they all destroyed it and now he had to destroy them. He smiled again. It was time to let the games begin.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Man that was a bad flight." Matt said when he finally got off the plane.

"I don't know. We enjoyed it." Jeff laughed.

"Yea, that's because you guys were in first class while I was stuck next to the really, really large guy and the woman with the crying baby." He muttered, still struggling with his bag which he had somehow managed to wrap around his arm several times. "What the hell?"

"Here let me help you." Jessica came over to him and got him untangled. "You know I offered you my seat."

"What and break up the happy couple?" He said sarcastically.

"I'll make it up to you." She smiled and he grinned back at her.

"Don't worry, I'll just take it out on Jeff. SO how was first class?"

"Great. Good champagne."

"Good to know. I enjoyed my water down cup of coke."

"See everyone's happy." Jeff said. "Now what do you say we go get the rest of our bags and get home. I can't wait to actually sleep in my own bed again."

"I hear ya." Matt said as they went down to the baggage claim area. It wasn't long before they had all their bags and we're headed towards the airport exit.

Matt looked around for Shannon Moore who was supposed to be picking them up but he didn't see him. He took out his cell phone and was about to call him when he saw a group of people standing further away. Matt motioned to his brother trying to get his attention before Jess saw it.

"Maybe we should wait inside." He suggested.

"We just dragged everything out." Jessica said. "We can wait out here."

"Matt's right besides, I'm beat. I could use a chair." Jeff agreed. He also saw them, especially the girl in the center wearing a Shane McMahon shirt and carrying a huge sign that said 'Home Wrecker' in bright red paint.

"There she is!" The girl yelled getting Jessica's attention. The group moved towards them so Matt and Jeff stepped in front of Jess to protect her.

"How could you do this?" She screamed at Jessica hysterically. "You ruined his life you bitch!" Jessica froze not believing what she was hearing.

"Look, back off." Matt told them.

"Get the hell out of here! What is wrong with you?" Jeff yelled.

"She's going to ruin your life too." The girl continued. If I were you, I'd get away as soon as I could."

"You're an idiot." Jeff said moving toward her.

"Jeff," Jessica started. "Don't say anything. It will only make things worse. Let's just go back in and wait."

"Yean go ahead and run away." The girl taunted them. Jessica picked up her back and started to go back in. "You're a tease! You asked for it!"

Jessica dropped her bag and turned back around. She walked toward her keeping her pace slow and deliberate. She didn't know if it was the look in her eyes or just that Shane's fan hadn't expected it but Jessica had to laugh as the loud mouth girl stepped back. Even Jeff and Matt stepped away to let her through. She stopped when they were standing face to face.

"What's wrong? Not feeling so strong anymore are you? I don't know what you were expecting to get out of me but it's not going to happen. I could hurl some harsh words or insults at you like you were just doing, or I could snap and kick your ass. I've been known to do that what with my mental state being what it is."

"Jessica," Jeff warned.

"But I won't because if I do anything to you then the reporters come running and you're crying all over the eleven o'clock news. I don't need that right now. I'm trying to lay low. Plus I'm feeling really good right now and it would kind of kill my mood so I'll tell you what, I'm gonna wait here for my ride and you're going to walk away and stop being an ignorant bitch. Okay? Bah bye."

At first, neither one of them moved. Jessica knew the girl was trying to save face in front of her friends. She took another step forward.

"Try me." Jessica threatened.

Stunned the girl and the crowd she came with started to leave. Jessica watched them walk away waving and smiling to anyone who looked back. When she was certain they were gone she turned back to Jeff and Matt. Jeff realized she was struggling to hold it together.

"Don't let it get to you." He told her. She nodded but wondered how she could not? It was hard enough keeping herself convinced that none of this was her fault, now she had to deal with others blaming her as well. What if there were more people out there who believed the same thing?

Finally, Shannon pulled up. He got out of the car apologetically blaming traffic for delaying him. Nobody said anything as Matt helped him load the bags and Jess climbed into the backseat. As the car pulled away, Jessica could still see the Shane O Mac t-shirt in the distance. She shook her head and looked to Jeff.

"You did good." He told her softly. "I'm proud of you." "Yea, I just barely held it together."

"But you did it." Matt said from the front seat. "Plus you stood up to her too."

"What happened?" Shannon asked. Matt briefly filled him in. "Man, Jess, I'm sorry I was late."

"It's okay. It's not your fault there's ignorant people out there. I'm just ready to go home." Jessica said trying to blow the whole thing off but she was still shaken by it.

"Don't worry, we'll be home soon." Jeff reassured her.

"Thank god." She leaned against him.

"Actually we have to stop at Matt's house first." Shannon told them.

"Man, I'm exhausted. Just drop us off before." Jeff said.

"You're Dad's waiting there for you there"

"He'll understand. We just want to settle in."

"I'm under direct orders." Shannon told them. Jeff caught Shannon's eye in the rearview mirror. Nothing was said but he could tell that there was a problem. Now what, he thought.

"Jeff," Jessica looked at him with concern.

"It's fine. He probably just wants to make sure we're okay. You know see for himself." He told her. She nodded then rested her head against him yawning. "It's been a long day huh? Just rest for a little." He pulled her closer. Comforted in his arms she allowed her eyes to close. Jeff didn't like not knowing what was coming but whatever it was Shannon didn't think they should talk about it in front of Jess; which wasn't a good sign. He would have to wait. The ride only took about a half an hour but to Jeff it felt like forever. Eventually they reached the familiar surroundings of home. Even with all the uncertainty, Jeff still took comfort that they had made it. He was home.

Jeff woke Jessica up as the car came to a stop. They piled out of the car and helped Matt with his bags. Shannon went to grab Jessica's and Jeff looked at him inquisitively. Realizing what he was doing, he put it back down.

"Let's go inside." Shannon said rushing into the house. The three of them exchanged glances at one another.

"I don't think I have a good feeling about this." Jessica said. "Something's wrong."

"We can handle it." Jeff reached out for her hand and they went into Matt's house. Shannon was already in the living room sitting on the couch with Shane Helms and Amy. Sitting on a chair opposite of them, Gil rose when he saw them enter.

"It's good to see you guys. How was your flight?" Gil asked. He hugged both of his sons before coming to Jessica. "How ya holding up kiddo?"

"Okay I think." She answered tentatively.

"Pop, what's going on?" Matt asked.

"Why don't you kids sit down?" He gestured to the loveseat and the three of them crammed into it. Jessica grabbed Jeff's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"So?" Jeff finally asked not wanting to wait anymore.

"When you guys called to say you were coming home, we thought it would be good to help you out. You know get everything settled so you can just come home and relax. We did a little shopping; just some necessities. Anyway, I came back here with Shane and Amy and Shannon went to your house." He paused.

"Go on." Jeff urged him.

"Someone broke into your house." He said.

"Wait again? When did this happen?"

"I don't know. I drove by your place the day after you left so it had to be in the past three days."

"We called the cops as soon as we got there." Amy said. "We didn't touch anything."

"What did the cops say?"

"They took some photos, checked for finger prints but I wasn't able to tell them if anything was missing." She said.

"How bad is it?" Jeff asked her.

"They did a lot of damage." Shannon said. He looked like he wanted to explain more but something was holding him back.

"I just finished fixing all the damage Shane caused."

"We'll fix it again." Gil told him.

"I'm gonna call the police and see what's going on." He went to get up but realized Jessica was still holding his hand. So far she hadn't said anything but he knew it was becoming more than she could take. "Don't worry; it's going to be fine. I'll be right back." He kissed her hand before releasing it and stepping into the other room. Jessica looked around at the others. They all looked worried. She focused on Amy knowing she would tell her the truth.

"Tell me." She said to her.

"Jess, we should wait for Jeff to come back."

"Well everyone here looks concerned so I'm fairly sure it's not your typical break in. They weren't looking for money were they?" Jessica stared at her but she wouldn't say anything. "Amy please."

"It didn't really look like anything was taken." She finally said.

"Just broken." Jess finished for her. She didn't want to know anything else. She looked away waiting for Jeff to come back in. Eventually he came out with a stressed look on his face.

"I'm going to meet them at the house. There's still some police out there. Shann, can you give me a ride?"

"Sure. No problem." He stood up and Jessica did too.

"No honey," Jeff said shaking his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. Why don't you stay here and get some rest? I shouldn't be too long."

"No. I'm coming with you."

"Look, this is going to be hard enough as it is."

"That's why I should go with you." She insisted. He was going to argue more but she was already at the door. "Together, remember?"

"All right. Let's go." They got into the car again and Jeff dreaded seeing the house. He looked at Jessica and saw she was nervous as well. "Remember, it can all be replaced. Don't let it get to you."

His words seemed like an ominous warning to her. They must have told him something on the phone, something he didn't think she could handle. She prepared herself for what was about to come as they pulled into the driveway and up to the house. Police tape blocked them from going all the way up, so they parked the car and had to walk the rest of the way. When they got closer Jeff stopped.

"Wait here. I want to talk to the cops first. I'll come back in a minute." He nodded to Shannon to watch her before walking further towards the house. Jessica tried to see the damage, but in the darkness they were still too far away. She started to move forward.

"Jess, let's wait for Jeff." Shannon said grabbing her arm.

"Why?" She asked him. "Why doesn't anyone want me to see this? What's going on?" When Shannon didn't answer she shook free of his hand and started walking. He had no choice but to follow. As Jessica got closer she could see where the door used to be. It had been ripped off. She was able to see that they had managed to break every window.

"Jess, don't come any closer" Jeff said realizing how close she now was but that was no longer a problem. Staring at the house, she was unable to move. All across the house someone had left their mark. Her heart broke as she read the graffiti left behind. It glared at her almost like it was a flashing neon sign. Slut… Tramp… Go back where you came from… It was all left for her.

"Jess. Jessica!" Jeff repeated till she finally looked at him.

"Why would someone do this?" She asked him. He put his arms around her hugging her tightly.

"It doesn't mean anything." He told her but it did. It meant a whole lot to her. She wasn't wanted here and someone had gone through a lot of trouble to let her know that.

"So much for the comforts of being home."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"This is crazy." Matt said as he, Amy and Shane walked up on the house. She had described the damage to him back at his house. After everything they had all gone through, he couldn't let them go through this alone. He had to be there to help them out with anything they needed. "They can't catch a break."

The three of them went up to Jess and Jeff who were sitting on the porch steps still unable to force themselves to go inside. Matt looked at his brother. He seemed at a loss, just trying to hold it together for Jessica's sake as she was trying to the same. Neither of them were doing a very good job of it.

"Sir," One of the officers came up to them. "We are going to need you to go through the house and let us know what is missing." Jeff nodded at him then looked to Jess.

"If you want you can wait out here?"

"No. Let's get this over with." She took his hand and they went inside. Going into the living room, Jeff looked around. The TV, the couch and all their furniture was there but it didn't matter. They had managed to damage everything they could get their hands on. The television had a large hole in the screen and the couch was slashed.

They surveyed the rest of the house and it was more of the same except for the bedroom. Jessica stared at in disbelief and couldn't help but be reminded of the time Shane had destroyed her bedroom in New York. It's happening all over again, she thought, only worse. Not only were there shreds of her clothes strewn about the room, but whoever broke in had made sure to destroy the bed they shared as well. It had been slashed open and even had some of the stuffing pulled out. The longer she stared at it the worse she felt. Needing to get away she released Jeff's hand and didn't stop until she was out of the house.

"This can't be happening" she said as she sat down on the steps. She focused on her breathing trying to get her anxiety to lessen but it didn't seem to be working. And as hard as she tried to fight it, her guilt returned. There was no way anyone could deny this attack was directed at her. Someone hated her so much for what she had done that they destroyed Jeff's house.

"Honey," Jeff placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"It's just like before." She told him as a tear rolled down her face.

"No. It's not."

"You're right. It's worse. This time instead of just one room the whole house got ruined."

"Jess, don't do this to yourself, please."

"It's supposed to be all over but it never is. Why would someone do this? How could someone do this?"

"There are a lot of stupid people out there. We just can't let them get to us."

"I don't see how." She said softly. She gestured to the house. "How do you ignore this?"

"I'm not saying we pretend this didn't happen."

"Then what?"

Everyone came out to join them so they stopped talking which gave Jeff a moment to figure out the next step. He couldn't believe this was all happening either. But he wanted, needed, to turn this into something positive for both of them. The only problem was right now he couldn't see how.

"At least nothing was taken." Shannon said trying to lighten the mood.

"As far as we can tell." Jeff said. "Everything was so messed up its hard to see."

"Hey Jeff," Matt interrupted them. "Did you check the uh?" He let his voice trail and touched his neck.

"Damn!" Jeff took off as soon as he realized what his brother meant. With everything that had gone on, he had completely forgot about it. He ran into the bedroom and rummaged through the closet. He let out a sigh of relief as when he touched and opened the small jewelry box to reveal the locket. He had brought it before they went up to Connecticut for her birthday not sure how long they would be up there. Thankfully, no one had found it.

"What's that?" He turned to see Jessica standing in the door way.

"It was supposed to be for your birthday." He moved closer turning the box towards her. "But I want you to have it now."

"It's beautiful." She said as she carefully took the locket out of its box.

"Open it up." He told her. Inside there was a picture of her and Jeff on one side and an engraving on the other: Never Let Go. "It's just my way of telling you that no matter what. I'm here to stay. I know I screwed up big time in the past but now that I got you back, I'm never gonna let you go and I hope you don't also. I love you." There were tears falling down her face again but this time they came along with a smile.

"Jeff, I don't know what to say."

"Look, none of this matters." He gestured to the damaged room. "It's all fixable, as long as I have you by my side."

"You do. With everything going on, you are the one good thing in my life. There have been so many ties that I just wanted to give up but you wouldn't let me. You keep me going. I can't imagine any else in my life but you." She gently stroked his cheek.

"Here let me help you." He took the locket from her and placed it around her neck as she leaned up and kissed him. "So does this mean you like it?"

"I love it. I'm never gonna take it off." She told him. They kissed again more passionately. Jessica felt everything fade away. There was no broken furniture, no torn strips of clothing, just the two of them and neither of them could be happier.

"Uh, guys?" Matt interrupted their moment. "Sorry but uhm the cops are still downstairs. Jessica and Jeff looked at each other and smiled.

"Let's say we get rid of them." Jeff told her.

"Lead the way." She said and they went back down stairs. They spent a little more time with the police before it was all over. The police had left leaving a mess behind them but neither Jeff nor Jessica cared.

"So now what?" Amy asked.

"We got a lot of work ahead of us." Shannon said.

"Yea but this place needed some redecorating." Jessica added.

"Really like what?" Jeff asked.

"It needs a little more me."

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that." He said and she hugged him. "Let's get started on our home."

"Hey guys, love this gung ho attitude and all but uh can we sleep first? I don't know about anyone else but I'm exhausted." Matt said.

They decided to all meet back up first thing in the morning back at Matt's house since Jessica and Jeff would have to spend the night there. After saying goodbye to everyone, they drove back to Matt's house and after quickly saying good night, they headed into their bedrooms. As Jeff changed Jessica stared at herself in the mirror. Her fingers touched her new locket lovingly. Jeff came up behind her and kissed the back of her neck.

"You're beautiful you know that?" He told her.

"You're bias." She laughed. He scooped her up and laid her on the bed. He climbed in next to her and pulled her closer before they both fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The next morning they woke up early, excited to get started and after a quick breakfast they headed to the house. Seeing the damage in daylight took Jessica back but she pushed her negative thoughts away, ready to work. Amy, Shannon, and Shane arrived shortly after with several bags in their hands.

"What's all this?" Jeff asked coming over to give them a hand.

"We brought supplies." Shane said handing him a bag.

"Plus food." Shannon added.

"Let's set up the food out here." Amy said laying a blanket down on the front porch. "Then we can figure out where we want to start. But first things first." She grabbed another blanket and roll of duct tape. She placed it over the graffiti and struggled with the tape. Matt came over and gave her hand and they covered it all up.

"Okay, now that the ignorance is gone, let's eat." She said sitting back down. Jessica smiled at her then looked around at all the food that they had brought.

"Let me guess, Shannon brought the food." Jessica laughed. The blanket was filled with any type of junk food you could think of. She looked around at the cakes, cookies and doughnuts. "Did you ever hear of fruit?"

"It's overrated." He said shoving a whole cupcake in his mouth. "I got some muffins. Aren't they healthy?"

"Not if they're chocolate chip." She told him but picked it up anyway.

"At least we'll have a sugar rush to do all this work." Matt said biting into a cookie.

"So where do we start." Shane asked his mouth filled with food.

"Well, I'd say you swallow first." Amy said. "We should probably get rid of the garbage first."

"Yea," Jessica agreed. "Amy and I can get the smaller pieces while you guys can throw out any of the broken furniture."

"Do you guys want to save anything?" Matt asked. Jessica and Jeff looked at each other.

"It's your stuff," She told him. "It's up to you."

"Let's get rid of everything." He said without even taking a breath. "We need a fresh start. I want 'our' stuff." She leaned over and kissed him.

"Aw, how sweet." Shane laughed.

"Watch it Helms." Jeff warned.

"Okay, I'm ready to get started." Jessica said putting the rest of the muffin down.

"All right you heard the girl. Let's get to work." Jeff stood up and everyone soon followed. The boys went to work in the living room with all the large furniture while Jessica and Amy headed to the bedroom.

"Are you sure you want to do this room first?" Amy asked when they got upstairs.

"Yea, I mean I know it's the worst but, you got to start somewhere. Besides, I'm hoping they didn't destroy everything or the only clothes I have left are what I brought up for the trial, not really everyday wear." Jessica said entering the room. She took a deep breath. "Okay, let's start with all the garbage but try to keep any clothing that looks salvageable."

Amy nodded and they quickly went to work. It wasn't long though before Jessica started to get frustrated. She had hoped to find some of her clothes still wearable but that wasn't the case. What made matters worse was as they cleaned up she noticed that while Jeff's clothes had been strewn about the floor as well, only hers had been destroyed. Amy noticed the change in her friend's demeanor as well.

"Jess, it's okay." She said pulling her into a hug. "Remember, we're supposed to stay positive."

"I'm trying it's just hard, you know. I mean everything of mine is gone. Was what I did so bad that I deserve this?"

"Absolutely not. You didn't do anything for this to happen to you. There are some really stupid people out there who choose to ignore the truth."

"What am I supposed to do about them?"

"Ignore them. Sooner or later it will all blow over."

"We hope." Jessica said. "I just wish we knew who did this. I mean first there was the incident at the airport and now this?"

"You've got to stop doing that. Look, I understand; it was a lot to deal with in one day but look how it ended." Amy gestured to the locket. "You can't control what other people are going to do so why let it affect you so much? Look at the good, it generally outweighs it."

"That's easy for you to say."

"You heard what the police said. With all the publicity it could have been anyone. It's going to be next to impossible for them to figure out who did this. You're going to have to try to let it go. Look at the good side, you get to redo the house; give it some of your own style. Although I must say, it's not much better than Jeff's." Amy ducked as Jessica threw a piece of mattress foam at her.

"You know Matt's still got that ring in his back yard." Jess warned laughing.

"Anytime. Here" Amy threw a tattered shirt at her. "You can wear this". She teased.

"All right that's it." And both girls were off grabbing items off the floor and chucked them at each other having a makeshift pillow fight. They went at it for a while until both girls fell to the floor in a fit of laughter. They laid there catching there breathe.

"What the hell is going on?" They looked to find Matt standing in the door way with Jeff and Shannon. The girl stood up looking a mess. Jeff came over a picked a piece of stuffing out of Jessica's hair. She laughed as he raised his eyebrow.

"We were just letting off a little steam." She told him.

"You know, if you guys were going to play around and have a pillow fight while we were working hard downstairs, the least you could have done was find me first." Shannon said right before Matt smacked him in the back of his head.

"I'm sorry you missed it."

"Me too." Jeff said wrapping his arms around her. "We thought we'd come up and see if you needed any help with the bags."

"Well, there's not too much bags yet." She said sheepishly.

"I can see that." He looked around the room and was amazed that the room actually looked worse.

"We'll clean it up." Jessica gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Yea, we'll get back to work now." Amy picked up her bag and quickly started to pick up the trash.

"Okay, Pop's going to be over in a little bit with lunch." He told them.

"All right, we'll try to get a little more work done before we break." She kissed him one more time before they guys all left to continue with what they were doing as well. Without any more distractions they were able to pick up most of the trash and even put Jeff's clothes back in his dresser. The fact that his dresser hadn't been damaged, bother her a little but, she ignored it and pressed on.

"Not bad." Amy said looking around. "We should hire ourselves out; make a little extra cash."

"You look into that and get back to me. In the meantime let's put these bags in the hallway then head downstairs." After they loaded the hallway with bags they joined the guys down in the living room to give them a hand. By the time Gil had arrived, everything had been removed from the living room and the kitchen. They went back out to the front porch and stared at the amount of garbage they had amassed.

"I think we're going to need a dumpster for all of this." Gil said as they unloaded the food. "You guys worked pretty fast. You should probably head to the hardware store and pick up the supplies you need."

"Yea, we can probably start construction tomorrow." Matt said as he bit into his sandwich.

"So wait, we're done here?" Shannon asked.

"Well, everything's cleaned up but we can use some help picking everything up and bringing it back here." Jeff said.

"I can go with you guys today." Helms said. "But I got to fly out tomorrow for Chicago."

Matt looked at him wistfully. He missed being in the ring. He had thought that after the trial he would be able to return but with how things stand now, and how uncomfortable everything was with the McMahon's he didn't see that as a possibility. Besides, as much as he wanted to go back he knew his place was with Jeff and Jess. They needed him now so wrestling would have to wait.

"Thanks, we appreciate it." Jeff said. The look on Matt's face was not missed on him or anyone else. They finished their meal in an awkward silence. When they were done, they decided that the guys would all go get any materials they need, while Amy and Jessica would go back to Matt's to relax.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Jeff asked after they had dropped them off.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"Maybe one of us should stay back. I don't feel right leaving you alone."

"Jeff, I'll be fine. Besides we'll probably just hang out by the pool; work on my tan." She smiled but Jeff still didn't move. She kissed him. "It'll be okay. Go." She reassured him a few more times before he finally letting her go. She watched the car pull away before going inside.

They hung out by the pool for a couple of hours before deciding to go in and cook dinner. By the time everyone came back home they were greeted by a full course meal laid out on the table. They all sat down and joked around while enjoying their food. The food went fast and it wasn't long before Jessica was clearing the plates and everyone was saying their goodnights.

"That was good." Jeff said giving her a hand with the last few dishes.

"Thank you. Did you get everything you need?"

"Yup. It won't be long before the house is back to normal." He closed the dishwasher. "What do you say we go to bed? I'm tired and we've got another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Hand in hand they walked up to the bedroom. Exhausted, they fell quickly asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Rise and shine!" Amy shouted as she entered their bedroom.

"God, what time is it?" Jessica asked sleepily.

"It's time to wake up."

"Amy, I'm gonna kill you. Its only 6 AM." Jeff said looking at the clock.

"I know. Now get up." She pulled the blanket off of them and Jeff yelled. "Aw, I was hoping you had no clothes on under there. You know a free peak?"

"Ames we're awake". Jessica finally said. "Just give us a chance to get dressed okay? We'll meet you downstairs." Amy shrugged then left the room.

"Do we really have to get up? Can't we just sleep a little more?" Jeff pulled her closer.

"I'm afraid not. I think they're waiting for us."

"So let them wait."

"Jeff they're helping us out. It would be rude." She got out of the bed and he had no choice but to follow. They each took a shower and after they were both dressed they went downstairs to join the gang.

"It's about time." Amy said. "There's been a change of plans."

"What happened now?" Jessica asked worried.

"Nothing bad; don't worry." Matt said. "Jeff you're going to come with Shannon and me."

"And you're going to come with me." Amy said to Jessica.

"How come?"

"We're going shopping."

"Ames, we got a lot of work to do."

"No, they do. It's just a bunch of hammering and painting. They don't need us for that and you need clothes. The courtroom look is killing me."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Jeff added. Matt and Amy exchanged glances. They had expected the protest. Since the kidnappings Jessica and Jeff rarely left each other's side.

"Jeff, come into the kitchen." Matt said. Jeff was hesitant to go. He knew Amy could sway Jess easily and then he wouldn't have the heart to say no. Matt dragged him away anyway.

"I just don't think it's safe. Look at what happened at the airport."

"So what's your plan? Are you going to keep her locked up in the house far away from anybody? Isn't that what Shane did?"

"Don't even go there." Jeff warned. "This is nothing like that. I don't want to see her get hurt again."

"Regardless of whether Jess is out there or here at home, she's going to get hurt again. Things happen; it's a way of life. You can't be there to stop everything. She had to live for herself and you have to let her."

"I will."

"When?" Matt asked.

"I left her alone yesterday."

"For a couple of hours, and she was here the whole time," He countered. "She'll be with Amy."

"That's reassuring." Jeff said sarcastically.

"Hey, Amy wouldn't do anything to put Jess in harm's way. We all think she needs this."

"Then why don't we all go?"

"Jeff, it's like talking to a brick wall. You both need to learn to live without being attached at the hip. Come on, take the first step."

Jeff thought about what his brother had said and as much as he didn't want to admit it, Matt was right. Still the thought of letting her go out there without him to protect her scared him. There were crazy people out there, yesterday proved that. What if something did go wrong?

"Jeff, can I talk to you?" Jessica asked as she entered the room.

"I'll leave you two alone." Matt said. He went to join Amy in the living room.

"So what do you think?" She asked him.

"I'm scared." He told her honestly.

"Me too."

"But I think you should go." He said eventually.

"You do?"

"Yea. Matt's right. I can't keep you away from living, either of us. It's one of those letting go things. I'm gonna miss you though." He kissed her.

"I'll bring you back something."

"Just have fun. Don't worry about me." They went back out. Amy and Matt were sitting on the couch laughing.

"Are we interrupting?" Jessica asked. She could have sworn she saw Amy blush.

"Ready to go?"

"Yup. Just let me grab my bag." Jessica ran upstairs.

"So where are you guys going?" Jeff asked.

"Just around." Amy said secretly. "Matt will fill you in."

Jessica came back down and after a long goodbye, in which Amy had to finally pulled her away they were off in Amy's car. They road for awhile, singing along to songs playing on the radio and Jessica couldn't believe how good it felt. She was doing something normal. She rolled down the window to let the breeze hit her.

"What are we doing here?" Jessica asked as they pulled into a hotel parking lot.

"Just picking something up."

"What?"

"That," Amy pointed to the front doors of the hotel. Jessica didn't even wait for the car to completely stop before jumping out of the and running to Stephanie.

"I don't believe it. What are you doing here?" Jessica exclaimed.

"You didn't think I'd let you go shopping without me?"

"Yea, but what about the kids?"

"They're with my mom." Stephanie said and Jessica stopped smiling. "She sends her love if you want to hear it."

"Steph, I…"

"Hey I understand. Don't worry so much. Besides, today is about having fun. Come on let's get going we have a lot to do today." They climbed back into the car.

"God, I can't believe you went through all this trouble." Jessica said.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Amy teased.

"What?"

"You'll see." Stephanie added. Jessica grew confused as they eventually arrived at a private airport.

"You guys." She looked around.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget to mention we weren't shopping here?" Amy smiled.

"Where are we going?"

"New York."

"Amy, I don't think so." She said hesitantly.

"Why?"

"This is all happening so fast, you know? And then Jeff,"

"Don't worry about Jeff." Stephanie cut her off.

"Matt's going to tell him." Amy told her.

"I should talk to him first."

"Why, so he can talk you out of it?" Stephanie asked.

"That's not fair. Jeff only has my best interest at heart. We've been through a lot."

"Jess," Amy started. "How many times do we have to tell you, you have to start living? Come on, let's have a little fun."

"We can have fun here." She reminded them.

"Sure, but think of all the clothes you can get." Amy looked hopeful. "When was the last time you went shopping in New York?"

"Ages ago." Jessica admitted. "But things were different then."

"You're right. They were worse. You had no idea what was going on, or who was going to attack you. You're safer now then you ever have been."

"Look, if it makes you feel better you can call Jeff first." Stephanie said hoping Matt had already calmed him down about their plan."

"Thank you." Jessica pulled out her cell and walked away from them.

"Do you think this will work?" Stephanie asked.

"It better."

"Who would have thought planning a surprise party would be this hard?"

"Well, I'm sure once Matt explained everything to Jeff, he'd come on board. With everything going down, you know he'd want to give her a good birthday party." Amy said.

"That's what we're counting on." Stephanie watched as Jessica headed back to them.

"Just imagine how hard it's gonna be to convince her to stay the night in New York." Amy muttered.

"One step at a time." Stephanie stood up. "So are we good?"

"Yea. He seemed fine with it." Jess told them.

"Then what are we waiting for. Let's go ladies, the plane waits." Stephanie led them to the private jet. Once they were airborne none of them could hold in their excitement.

"It's almost like when we were younger." Jessica said to Stephanie.

"Wait you guys used to jut fly to Manhattan when you were kids." Amy asked.

"Well, not fly. We'd take a car." Steph told her.

"Are you serious? That was so not my childhood."

"It was only an hour away." Jessica reminded her.

"Still, I would have killed to do something like that. I was lucky if my parents would let me go to the mall." Amy said wistfully.

"I would have traded it all for a parent who had time to care." Jessica said.

"Yea, and my dad was always on the road." Stephanie added.

"So I guess no one was happy." Jess sighed.

"Come on who actually has a happy childhood." Amy said. They all sat quiet for a minute.

"Wow, you guys sure no how to pick a person up." Jessica finally said.

"Okay, enough wining about when we were younger. Let's figure out where we're going. We need a plan of action." Amy said snapping out of it.

"Definitely, we need to hit as many stores as possible, plus I booked us a spa treatment at four." Stephanie added. "It's my treat for your birthday."

"You guys are amazing." Jessica smiled. She listened to the two of them plan the entire day of the where they would go and by the time they we off the plane and in the car headed to Manhattan they had a full plan of action.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"What about this?" Jessica asked modeling another pair of jeans.

"They look the same as the last ones. Actually they're all starting to look alike." Amy said.

"Yea, Jess how many more pairs of jeans do you have in there?" Stephanie asked her.

"There's only six more." Jessica went back into the dressing room.

"Do we have to see all six?" Amy whispered to Stephanie.

"I'm afraid so." They both leaned back in their seats. So far they had already hit four stores and Amy and Stephanie hit their budget after the second stop.

"I get me, but why aren't you still shopping?"

"I've spent enough. Paul will shoot me if I bring home any more. Our closets are already jammed with clothes I don't wear." Jessica came out in her own clothes.

"What happened?" Amy asked.

"I can read your faces. You guys are done."

"Jess, if you want to keep going go. You have a whole wardrobe to replace."

"Yea but I don't have to do it all in one day. Besides, you said something about a spa. It's been years since I've had a good facial."

"Then let's go." Stephanie said getting up.

"Okay but I need a hand bringing this stuff to the register." Jessica gestured to the large stack of clothes she had amassed. Steph and Amy gave her a hand and after she paid for everything they loaded it into the car and squeezed themselves in as well.

"I think we're out of room here. It's a good thing you've stopped shopping or else one of us would have to run alongside." Amy joked.

"What are we supposed to do with this stuff while we're there?" Jess asked.

"I'll have the driver bring it along to the hotel room." Stephanie said and Amy hit her leg.

"What hotel room?" Jessica asked.

"Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag. She meant the hotel room we booked for us to stay in tonight." Amy explained.

"You booked us a hotel room?"

"Actually a suite, you know big enough for all of us." Stephanie said.

"You guys never said anything about us staying the night." Jessica protested.

"Surprise!" Amy said weakly.

"What about Jeff?"

"Matt told him about it and I'm sure he's fine with it. You can call him if you want."

"Come on Jess, we got a great night planned. It's going to be fun." Stephanie added.

"All right, I just want to make sure Jeff's okay first." She relented. Amy wanted to say something else but she knew better. Just getting Jessica to agree to this was a big step.

"Good, because we're at the spa and I've got a surprise for you."

"Steph, how many more surprises do you have planned?"

"Just one more, maybe. Come on." They got out of the car and as Amy and Jessica went inside Stephanie directed the driver to load off their bags at the hotel then rushed back to join them. As she cut through the crowd, she got bumped and dropped her bag spilling its contents. A gentleman helped her pick everything back up and she thanked him before going in.

She was escorted to the dressing room where Amy and Jess had already changed into the bath robes so she had to hurry to change before they were brought to their private room. Amy and Stephanie let Jessica go in first.

"Oh my god!" She shrieked as she saw Trish and Torrie already in there. She ran in and they had a massive group hug. "I can't believe you guys are here."

"Well as soon as Steph called and told us what she had planned we had to." Trish told her. "You look so good."

"You do too. Holy shit. I still can't believe this. I haven't seen you guys since…forever."

"Yea well, now that everything's over and you're out of hiding you can definitely expect to see me more." Torrie said.

"All right Ladies, first things first." Stephanie motioned to the attendant who came over with champagne.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Amy said taking her glass."

"I propose a toast. To Jessica, who has shown us real strength and determination, we are so happy that we're all here today."

"Here, here," Amy sipped from her glass.

"With all seriousness," Jessica rose. "I want thank you guys, all of you for being here. I know I cut you off for awhile so thanks for giving me a second chance."

"We're just glad you are back." Trish said. They clicked their glasses. The masseuses came in and the girls each lay on their beds to begin their massages. What was supposed to be a quiet reflective time quickly turned into a loud gab fast as none of them would stay silent for long. After awhile, and a few more glasses, they were joking and laughing around so loudly that someone had to come in to remind them about disturbing others.

"Maybe this wasn't the best place for a reunion." Stephanie conceded. "The car should be back by now. What do you say we head to the hotel and grab something to eat? I'm fairly sure we won't have to be quiet there."

They all got quickly dressed then headed back into the car to go to the hotel. When they got there they huddled in the lobby for a moment figuring out where to eat. After they made a decision Stephanie left them to go check in, while the girls went to get a table. She walked past a man who smiled at her and she smiled back as she waited for her turn at the front desk. The man looked vaguely familiar and she remembered him as the gentleman who helped her pick up her belongings when she dropped her purse on the sidewalk. Small world, she thought to herself then paused. There were millions of people in Manhattan and the odds of running into the same stranger twice seemed odd, especially since the hotel was cross town from the spa. She stopped herself from going any further. Like everyone else, she had to stop being so suspicious. Not everyone had a sinister plot running through their head.

"Next!" Stephanie realized it was her turn so she ran to the counter. When she was done, she turned and saw that the man was gone. She went towards the restaurant and then froze. Maybe all people were sinister as she now saw the man peering into the place, staring intently at the table of her friends. She grew even more alarmed as Jessica got up from the table and went over to the bar. His head moved watching her every step.

Panicking she pulled out her cell phone and called the one person she probably shouldn't have, her father. He picked up on the first ring and she quickly explained what was happening.

"Okay calm down," He told her, "What does he look like?"

"Uhm, he's older looks to be close to your age. He's probably about 6'2", blond hair."

"Damn it." Vince cut her off.

"Who is it? What should I do?"

"Don't do anything. I'll take care of it."

"How?"

"Don't worry. You just go back to having a good time and make sure Jess doesn't see anything. I'll handle it." He quickly hung up the phone. Stephanie wondered what was going on. Why did he hang up so quickly and how could he handle it when she was in New York and he was in Connecticut? She didn't have to wait long as she saw another familiar face come forward and quietly approach the man and escorted him away winking at her as they passed. It was Mike, one of her dad's personal guards.

She didn't know whether to be angry or relieved that her father had sent someone along to follow them. On one side Jessica would be furious to know that Vince was still meddling in her life when she had ordered him to leave her alone. But after what she had just seen, maybe keeping an eye on Jess wasn't a bad idea.

"There you are." Jessica said coming up to her. "We were getting worried. What took you so long? Is everything okay?"

"Sure everything's fine." She quickly recovered.

"Well then come on, everyone's waiting." Jessica dragged Stephanie into the restaurant. She took one look back at the man and saw that he was now on the phone with Mike standing next to him. Something told her he was now speaking to her father. He's hiding something, Stephanie thought. She realized that Vince knew who this was and had been expecting him to do something like this. She wanted to call her dad back but that was going to be impossible with Jessica around. It would have to wait till later.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"I thought I told you to stay away." Vince yelled through the phone.

"Actually, I do believe when we last talked you asked me to think about it and I did." Andrew said.

"Then why are you there?"

"Because I don't agree with it. It's wrong to think that me going away is the right answer. It only helps her hide from her past."

"She's not hiding from her past."

"No. She's only choosing to ignore it and I'm helping."

"So you think what? You'll appear and she'll finally be able to deal with it? I'll tell you what will happen. You're going to bring back more memories and more problems. It will be too much pressure for her to handle and she'll crack"

"I don't think she's as weak as you think she is" Andrew told him.

"Maybe that's because you haven't been there but I have been. I was there when she was in the hospital."

"Don't you mean the institution? You know that seems to be the going trend with the kids you've raised. I wonder how long before Stephanie takes her turn?"

"If I was there right now, you'd be a dead man." Vince raged through the phone.

"But you're not. Look, I'm not trying to cause a fight. My point is how you chose to raise them didn't work. So what would be so bad if I gave it a shot?"

"She's not a child. There's no more raising to be done. The best thing any of us can do is let her live for herself."

"I don't agree." Andrew said and Vince realized that words were not going to work. He would have to do something more to keep him out of her life.

"Look over to my guard. He's going to hand you something." Andrew followed Vince's direction and opened up a check for $100,000 signed by Vince. "Now I want you to take it, walk out of the hotel and stay out of our lives. It's what you really came for right? It's always been about the money with you."

"People change." Andrew told him.

"Not you." Vince hung up the phone and let out a deep breath. He looked up and saw his wife standing in the doorframe. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough. Maybe it's time we talk with Jessica."

"She doesn't want to speak with us."

"Then we force her or have Stephanie do it. Vince you're handling threats against her left and right and now Andrew's back in the picture. It's too much to keep in the dark."

"No. The less she knows the better she'll be."

"And what about her safety? Some of these letters are severe. We can be putting her in harm's way again."

"Trust me. I won't let that happen."

"What about Andrew?" Linda asked him.

"I'll find out right now." Vince picked up his phone and dialed Mike. "Is he gone? Fine but keep your eyes open and call me if there's any more problems."

"Well?" Linda asked when he hung up the phone.

"It's taken care of." He told her but she still looked concerned. "Don't worry. Why don't you take the kids outback and let them play a little?"

"I can't. Every time I go back there and see the playhouse it makes me sick. I don't want the girls touching that thing." She said. Vince went over and hugged his wife.

"Listen, give a few more minutes. I have a little work to finish up and then we can take them to the park. They'll love it."

Linda nodded then left the room. From his study window Vince looked out the window at their backyard. She was right about the playhouse. Its bright colors did nothing to change the feeling you got from looking at it. It was a constant reminder of what had happened. As is all this, thought looking at the table. He had just been giving another stack of letters received by the company to Jessica, but not the friendly support one. Those were kept at the office for when Jess was ready to see them. Vince was only given the threatening ones that he'd scour for hours. He was beginning to worry that this wouldn't stop. There were letters from angry Shane fans, Hardy fans who blame her for the fact that they aren't working right now or just those who with the constant media exposure have become obsessed.

If Jessica had planned on returning to a normal life, Vince felt sorry for her. It was apparent to him that that was never going to be. Thanks to Shane too much had happened and the letters were getting out of control. Stephanie had told him about what had happened to their house. It was time to listen to his head of security and let the authorities know how bad it was getting.

He looked at the picture on his desk of Shane, Stephanie, and Jessica. They really were his three kids. He failed Shane, and he had failed Jessica but he still felt he could make it right, with both of them. Shane is getting the help he needs. According to Dr. Bromley, he had been responding well in his therapy sessions. Vince could only hope that it was truthful.

As for Jessica, he had no choice but to stay the course. The guards he had assigned will continue to watch out for her and hopefully she'll be none the wiser. She may not have wanted it, but it was his job to make sure she is given the chance to lead a normal life. So if that meant staying out of sight or paying off someone who meant her harm, while she went off oblivious to it all, then he would do it. He gathered the letters back into the folder and made a mental note to give them to the FBI tomorrow.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Jeff was helping Matt unload the groceries out of his car the next morning when his cell phone rang. He smiled as he saw Jessica's picture appear on the screen.

"God, I missed you." He said into the phone.

"Good morning to you too," She laughed.

"So how was ladies night out?"

"It was great. I mean to see Trish and Torrie again, it was like old times."

"I assume that means drinking?" He teased.

"Well you know me, but it was really cool and we hung out in the hotel most of the time; just catching up you know? I'm glad I came."

"I'm glad you did too but most of all I'm glad you're coming home. It was lonely without you last night."

"Yea, well I'm sure you found some way to keep yourself entertained."

"Oh sure, I mean first there was the strippers, and then the circus clowns came around."

"Wow it was just like my night." She joked. "I missed you. Thank you for being cool with this."

"No problem, so when are you coming home?"

"Well, a couple of the girls are still a little hung over so it's going to take us awhile to get going but Steph figures we should be in the air around two."

"Okay, sounds good. Let me know when you land."

"I will, I love you."

"I love you too." He told her. After saying their goodbyes he picked up the last remaining bags and went into the house.

"So how's Jess?' Matt asked as he came into the kitchen.

"She's good. You were right she needed this."

"One day you too will be wise my son." Matt joked.

"Shut up and hand me the chips. We got a lot of stuff to set up and I still want to stop at the house to get a little work done before Jess comes home."

"What not loving my house?"

"I appreciate you letting us crash there and all but I just want to get settled in; get back to normal you know?"

"Yea, I hear ya." Matt said grabbing the decorations and heading into the living room. Jeff followed. They talked as they continued setting up.

"What about you?" He asked grabbing the other end of the Happy Birthday banner.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, I saw the look you had when Helms mentioned work. You want to go back."

"It's not the right time." Matt said quickly.

"Why not? Dude it's what you love. I'm sure Stephanie would let you return the moment you ask."

"Are you sure about that? I mean it's still Vince's company and after Jess' last confrontation with him… it's still an awkward time. Not to mention I'd be leaving you guys. I mean you're not ready to go back right?"

"It's different for me. I got Jess to think about now and we still got a lot of healing, both of us, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. It's not gonna hurt either of us if you go back. We want you to be happy too."

"I am happy." Matt said quickly. "I'm just not ready to leave you guys."

"What was it you were saying before? Something about not being attached at the hip."

"Listen little brother don't use my words against me." Matt warned.

"Just think about it. Maybe you can even talk to Steph about it at the party tomorrow. See what she thinks."

"I'll think about it. Now back to the house." Matt said trying to change the subject. "What are you guys going to do about furniture? We pretty much threw everything out."

"I figured I'd take Jess shopping so we can pick it out together, same thing with the paint. I want us to agree on everything."

"Sure that's going to happen" Matt laughed.

"It will."

Come on Jeff, I can see it already. She'll pick one couch, you'll pick another then she'll do her little thing and you'll settle on her couch. I've said it before, you can't say no to her."

"Is that bad?"

"If it was anyone else, I'd say yes but it with you guys it works. You're good for each other and if you both keep your shit together, you'll be fine."

"I noticed you and Amy have been spending a lot of time together." Jeff smiled.

"Don't even go there."

"Why not?"

"A lot's happened. We're just friends." He paused to look around the room. "You know I think we went overboard. Maybe we should call up Shannon and cancel the balloons. It looks like a Chuckey Cheese birthday party.

"We used to be good at this." Jeff laughed as he had to agree.

"Should we take some of it down?" Matt asked.

"Nah, forget it. As corny as it is, Jess will love it." Jeff face lit up just mentioning her name and Matt felt a twinge of jealousy. "Come on let's go stop at my house."

Jeff grabbed a few items before they hopped into Matt's car. He couldn't help but notice that his brother had grown silent.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I mean I see you and Jess and as bad as everything is, you guys just seem to be happy when with one another. I kind of miss that."

"This brings us back to Amy." Jeff said.

"It's just different now you know?" Matt said quietly.

"Yea, but you guys got a bond."

"It's not like you and Jess. You guys had outside forces trying to break you up. Amy and I just imploded on our own."

"If you remember, I had a hand in my breakup, a big one." Jeff reminded him. "I'm the one who slept with Meg."

"Wow, I haven't hear you say her name in awhile."

"Well after finding out what she did, there's really no reason to talk about her."

"Don't you even wonder what happened to her?" Matt asked.

"I know she agreed to testify to get a better deal, other than that I don't care. Anyway, I'm on to better things; a life with Jess which is where I should have been all along." Matt pretended to cry and Jeff took a swipe at him.

"Hey, I'm driving here!" Matt laughed. He pulled the car right up to the house. There was a large box sitting on the front porch. "What's that?"

"I don't know. I didn't leave anything out here." Jeff got out of the car and walked over to the box. He read the label addressed to him and Jess, stating 'Happy Birthday.' "It's just a birthday gift for Jess."

"From who?"

"There's no return address." Jeff looked at the box more closely. "It wasn't mailed. It looks like someone just dropped it off. I wonder what's in it."

"Who would leave a package on the front porch like this?" Matt looked at Jeff.

"Should I open it?"

"Jeff, it's for Jessica. We'll just take it back to my house. She can open it tomorrow."

"Aren't you curious?"

"Of course I am but it wouldn't be right and she would probably get upset."

"All right, give me a hand will ya?" They went to lift it up, but it wasn't taped at the bottom, so as they raised the box, Jessica's gift was revealed. Jeff stared at the miniature doll house that appeared before them. He immediately recognized the structure.

"Isn't that…" Matt's voice trailed off and Jeff was too shocked to finish for him. He couldn't believe that someone had actually sent an exact replica of the house Shane had kept her prisoner in, down to the one door and the bars on the windows. Jeff leaned forward to examine it. "Jeff maybe you shouldn't touch it."

Jeff ignored him and went to open it. Inside was every detail of the house exactly as he remembered it. He glanced at the four dolls propped up in the living room and grew even more alarmed. There were two children and two adults. The little girl as well as the woman had a small picture of Jessica's face glued on them, while the two males had Shane's. What was worse, the Jessica doll was dressed exactly as Jeff had found her, tattered clothes and all.

"Jeff," Matt nudged him to the card lying on the ground next to it. With a shaky hand, Jeff opened it and showed his brother what is said.

_The way it should have been and will be again. Happy dreams and Happy Birthday!!!_

Jeff dropped the card and stared at the fixture in anger. He raised his foot to crush it but Matt stopped him.

"Don't. We should call the police."

"Why? What would it matter anyway?"

"Jeff this is not normal. Who would send this?"

"I'll tell you who the hell would send this. Shane, that's who."

"He's not allowed to have any contact besides, he's under lock and key."

"Come on, this has Shane written all over it. It's his sick little message to freak her out."

"I'm going to call Miller." Matt said pulling out his cell phone. "Uh yea, it's Matt Hardy. We received a package today we think you should know about." Matt briefly explained what was going on before hanging up the phone.

"What did he say?" Jeff asked.

"He's going to call us right back, but he wants a picture of it." Matt took the picture and sent it back. Jeff went to pick up the doll again but Matt put his hand out. "I don't think we should touch it anymore. There might be some clues as to who sent it."

"I already know who sent it."

"Jeff, don't jump to any conclusions. It could be the same person who messed up the house, or even someone just playing a stupid joke."

"Who happened to know every detail down to what that pervert had her wearing?" Jeff looked at him in shock and Matt had to admit it was farfetched. There was no way Shane could have done this. He was locked away in a mental institution with no contact with the outside world. Wasn't he? His phone rang and he answered it quickly. Jeff walked around him impatiently as he talked to Miller for what felt like an eternity.

"Well?" Jeff asked when he finally hung up.

"He said not to touch it. He's on his way over."

"Wait he's down here? Why?"

"He said he needed to talk to us; that something came up. We're just going to have to wait. He did say he was would check with the hospital but he didn't think it was possible for Shane to send it. He's not allowed to have outgoing or incoming mail right now."

It had to be Shane, Jeff thought looking again at the card now lying on the ground. _The way it should have been and will be again. _That was a threat; a threat meant for Jessica. Why did Miller need to talk to them and why was it so important that he had to come down here instead of using the phone? But the worst thought that sprung into his mind was that if it wasn't Shane then they now had a new threat who was just as twisted.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"All right is everyone ready yet?" Stephanie called out loudly. They were already an hour past check out and looking at her watch she knew they were behind schedule. Everyone else was too busy running around the room grabbing their stuff to pay her any attention. "You guys were going to miss our departure time."

"Don't worry." Amy said after she found her shoes. She went over and put one arm around her. "Who in their right mind is going to deny the five of us our ride home?"

"Yea, and if they do we'll just let Amy flash them." Jessica added. "Now where did I put my bags from Saks, I wanted to wear that blue top I brought." She went over to the luggage cart and started taking everything off of it.

"Wait, I picked that outfit out for you this morning. You look hot." Torrie said putting the bags back on the cart.

"I know but it's a little much. I'm only going home."

"To your loving boyfriend, who hasn't seen you in a whole day? Don't you think he deserves it?" Torrie took the bag out of her hand. "Help me out here guys."

"I'll handle this. Excuse me?" Trish went over to the bell hop. "What do you think of her outfit? Be honest. Would you do her?"

"Trish!" Jessica blushed just as much as the unsuspecting hotel worker. "Don't answer that."

"Come on you guys." Stephanie called out again.

"All right, all right, I'm ready." Jessica said grabbing her purse and they all called out in agreement. One by one they filed out of the room. "Wait! We didn't get a picture."

"What of the disaster zone?" Amy asked and Jessica had to agree. It looked like they had stayed there for weeks without room service instead of just one night.

"No, I want a picture to remind me of this time. Come on, humor me."

"Still sentimental after all these years," Trish said coming back into the room. They all huddled around as the bell hop obliged them by taking the photo with her Amy's phone.

Finally, they were in the car and heading to the airport. Jessica still couldn't believe that Trish and Torrie had decided to come along and spend of few days in North Carolina. She had even protested last night when she found out knowing everyone had a life and careers to get back to. But in the end even she had to agree that a few extra hands would come in handy finishing the house.

"We definitely have to do this again." Torrie said getting out of the car at the airport.

"Yea, we can make it a monthly thing. That way we can keep an eye on one another." Trish agreed.

"You mean keep an eye on me." Jessica looked around.

"We're entitled to be concerned." She told her. "You had us scared for awhile and I know it wasn't your fault but we just don't want it to happen again."

"Yea, we love you." Stephanie said.

"Kleenex moment!" Amy shouted loudly and they all laughed.

"Okay, just remember. It's important to me that everyone goes on living their lives. I don't want anyone to change their plans or feel obligated to keep after me. I'm gonna be fine."

"Of course you are." Amy said. "And we promise we won't hover over you. In fact if you want we won't even talk to you for the whole flight. Now stop being an idiot and let's go." She dragged Jessica through the airport and onto their flight, where even though they were more than an hour late they were able to take off immediately.

The flight felt shorter to Jessica than any other time. She smiled as she realized the difference. This time she wasn't going home with any fears or doubts about what the future would hold. She had had a great day with everyone a not once did she feel threatened or unsafe. Maybe everyone was right, she thought. She had friends and family that supported her, a boyfriend who loved her, and for the first time she actually believed she had a chance at a normal life, or as normal as she chose to live it.

"All right Jess, what's with the goofy smile" Amy asked noticing.

"Nothing. I'm just good."

"Okay, so tell us about the plans for the house. Is there a theme going or anything?" Torrie asked.

"You know, we didn't really talk about it." Jessica told her.

"Well knowing the two of you I'm going for strange." Trish said. "You know weird murals on the walls, totally clashing furniture and paint so bright you need sunglasses."

"Geez thanks a lot. How come I get the feeling that no here like's my sense of style?"

"Oh come on. It's not that bad. Her house in New York was nice." Stephanie said coming to her defense. Jessica appreciated it except that wasn't her style. It had mostly been what her mother had done to it. After she died, she never bothered to change it.

"Speaking of the house in New York, what are you going to do with it?"Trish asked.

"I don't know. I guess I could sell it. I'd get some decent money for it as long as I redo my bedroom." Her smile faded and Steph knew why. That house was the last thing she had that tied her to her real family. Jessica didn't know if she could part with it.

"Well, there's no rush. It's not like you need the money." Stephanie said. "You'll have plenty of time to make that decision."

"Ladies, I do believe we are descending." Amy said and they all looked out their windows. Jessica felt her excitement return as she looked forward to going home and seeing Jeff. She watched as the ground came closer and closer till finally they had landed and she jumped out of her seat and raced to the door.

"Whoa, Jess. What about your bags?" Amy called after her.

"I just wanted to call Jeff and let him know we're here."

"Okay, we'll take care of the bags." Amy relented as the doors were opened.

"No, I'll help. It is mostly mine anyway." Jessica gave one of her old mischievous grins at her than reached down and picked up one of the many bags. "See ya outside." She rushed off before Amy could protest.

"Gee, that helped." She heard Amy say sarcastically but she laughed afterwards and Jessica knew it was okay. She stepped down from the plane and as soon as she was safely off the tarmac she pulled out her cell and dialed Jeff.

"Hey baby, does this mean you're finally home?" He said as soon as he picked up.

"Yup the plane just landed so we should hopefully be there in about an hour, I think." She told him.

"Okay. I'm at Matt's so meet me up here."

"No problem. See you soon. I love you."

"I love you too." He said before hanging up and turning to face his brother.

As festive as the room was, there were no smiles here. Jeff, Matt, Shannon and Agent Miller were all sitting around the living room after just finishing going over the letters the FBI received.

"How did you get these anyway? Are you sure they're even legit?" Jeff asked.

"We just received them, so I haven't have time to follow up on them but they came from your employer."

"So they came from Vince. This could just be some dumb plot to get her to turn back to him."

"And the house," Matt stepped in. "Do you think he sent that too? Come on Jeff."

"They came from the security department, as far as I know this has nothing to do with McMahon." Miller told him.

"There's no way the house came from Shane?" Jeff asked even though he knew Miller had already confirmed that Shane had not and is not allowed to send mail yet. "Maybe he had help."

"Jeff you're grasping." Matt told him.

"I just don't understand how this could be happening again. I wanted to believe that it was just some punk kids who trashed the house and that this would all go away but it's not."

"What do we tell Jess?" Shannon asked.

"Nothing."

"Jeff." Matt went over to him.

"No, I don't want to hear it. We planned to give her the best birthday party she's ever had and that's just what she's going to get. You didn't hear her on the phone. She happy, really happy and I can't do this to her right now."

"So what do you want to do?"

"We'll keep an eye open. Miller's working the case. He'll check up on these freaks and we'll go on living our lives." Jeff looked around the room. "Jess is told nothing about today, not about the letters, and definitely not about that model." They all looked at him like they didn't agree. He knew it was wrong but he didn't think there was another option. If they told her about today's events, or if she saw the miniature house, she'd be destroyed and he couldn't let that happen. It was his job to protect her now. He looked around the room again where the silence was deafening. His eyes rested on his brother.

"She's not strong enough yet." Jeff told him softly. Even though he had a strong feeling that all this was wrong, Matt decided he would go along anyway, for his brother's sake. He placed his hand on Jeff's shoulder to let him know that he would support him.

"Fine," Miller said. "I'll keep you guys informed with what I find out and I'll get the cops to lay low. But if I were you, I'd look into increasing your security. Just in case there's a copy cat around here, we don't a repeat of the last time."

"And we'll have to do it without Jess knowing." Shannon said.

"I'll figure something out." Jeff said as a car pulled up. He looked out and saw Helms, Adam and Jay getting out of the car. "Shit, people are starting to arrive. Shan, can you remind them this is supposed to be a surprise party? They need to pull their cars around back."

"No problem." Shannon said and headed to the door.

"Remember no one's to know what's going on. I want to keep the mood as light as possible." Jeff called out after him. Shannon nodded than went outside so Jeff turned his attention to his brother.

"I'll get the food going." Matt said and headed off into the kitchen leaving only Jeff and Miller in the room.

"I have a few numbers of some really good security companies you can use to secure your house." Miller offered.

"Thank you. Do you think I'm making a mistake?" He asked.

"I'm not sure but you know what she needs better than anyone else." Miller told him and Jeff nodded. Miller stood up and shook his hand. "I'll call you tomorrow and see how everything's going."

"All right, I really appreciate it. I know this is more than your job calls for."

"It's not a problem." They were interrupted by the sounds of laughter as people started pouring into the house. "You got a large crowd here. Keep yourself safe." Miller warned going for the door.

"We will." Jeff assured him then watched Miller walk down the front steps.

"Hey buddy!" Chris Irvine said coming up the steps with a big box wrapped in bright paper. "Where do I put this?"

"Just put it on the floor in the dining room for now." He told him. Jeff spent the next hour greeting everyone and getting things settled thankful for the distraction. He was surprised by how many of their friends had been able to show up on such short notice. He looked at it as a reminder that they weren't alone in all this.

"Jeff!" Matt called out turning the music off. "Amy just texted. They should be here in like 10 minutes."

"All right. Everyone quiet it down a bit. I'm going to wait outside."

"Wait, can we yell surprise this time?" Jay asked referring to the last time they all got together after Jess was released from the hospital.

"Of course you do idiot." Adam smacked him on the back of the head. Jeff shook his head and stepped outside. The silence gave him a moment to gather his thoughts so when Jessica arrived he would be all smiles. But once the car pulled up he realized he didn't need it. As soon as she stepped out of the car and ran towards him a huge grin spread across his face. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. Just having her in his arms, he knew that it was worth it. Keeping her happy, that's what's important. He gently lifted her face towards him and kissed her more passionately than he ever thought possible.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Hey you two, get a room!" Amy called out as they continued to embrace.

"It's like we're not even here." Trish agreed but couldn't help but smile.

"Wow!" Jessica said when their lips parted. "I should go away more often."

"Don't you dare. I missed you too much."

"I missed you too." She kissed him again.

"Are we going to go in, or are you guys just going to make out right here?" Amy said and Jessica laughed.

"All right let's head in. I'll see if I can whip up something for us to eat." She said taking Jeff's hand. "Oh wait my bags."

"Don't worry, I'll get it later." Jeff told her as they went to the house. The girls made sure to hang back so that Jess would be the first one in.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted in unison and Jessica almost jumped out of shoes.

"Holy Shit." She took several deep breaths then broke into a smile. "What is wrong with you people? That's no way to greet someone."

"You should have seen the look on your face." Adam laughed as he came over and handed her a drink. She took a big gulp than sighed.

"That," she starting lifting her glass, "Is how you greet someone. You guys are amazing. Who planned this?" Jeff turned her around and she saw the tell tale look in the eyes of Amy and Stephanie.

"The trip was all a set up to get me out of the house?" She asked.

"Partially, except you really did need the new clothes. Thank god we fixed that one." Amy told her making another joke about her wardrobe.

"I thought when it was somebody's birthday you have to be nice to them." Jessica said.

"Honey, that's why we're throwing the party a few days before your birthday, we can insult you as much as you want." Jessica pouted at her before breaking into a smile and giving Amy a hug. She embraced Stephanie as well before turning her attention to all of her guests.

Jeff was amazed as he watched her run around the room saying hello to everyone. She had so much energy that he had trouble keeping up with her. The carefree Jessica was back. The music returned and the party officially started with Matt churning out food as fast as he could try to keep up with the demand.

"You know, I think we should have hired a caterer." Jeff said as he watched his brother sweat. "I'm gonna give him a hand. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Go ahead." She watched him walk away and then felt big hands lift her up in the air.

"Looking good kid." She turned her head to see Paul Wight keeping her in the air with Stephanie's Paul standing next to him.

"Hey you guys!" She hugged them both when she was finally put down. "Stephanie is unbelievable."

"I know." He beamed at her across the room.

"Go say hi to your wife." She told him and he went off.

"Hey Jess." Shane Helms said coming up to her. "I want you to meet someone. This is David Schaefer. Dave, this is Jessica."

"Nice to meet you," He said shaking her hand.

"Dave just got sent up to the big leagues with us this week."

"Congratulations." Jess said and he nodded.

"I figured I'd take him under my wing and show him the ropes."

"Oh, you poor thing."

"So far it's not bad." David said.

"Give it time." She joked.

"Hey wait a minute; I can take your gift back you know." Helms protested.

"I love you Shane." She kissed his cheek.

"You're forgiven." He told her.

"Hey guys, I need to steal her away." Trish said pulling Jessica by the arm barely giving her a chance to say good bye. She continued to circulate around the room before finding her way to the dance floor. Eventually Jeff came back to her.

"Having a good time?"

"The best." She told him. The music switched to a slower pace and she wrapped her arms around his neck as the moved to the rhythm. "Just when I think it can't get any better you go ahead and do this."

"Amy and Steph did most of the planning. I just set up this end of it."

"Well thank you." She smiled. "I still can't believe it. It all seems so normal, you know. There are no problems, no one lurking in the shadows waiting to attack; I'm just having a regular life with family and friends. It's all because of you. You tried to make me see that everything is possible and now I do. I don't deserve you but I'm glad that you're still here."

"I think it's the other way around." He told her.

"I don't. I love you."

"I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her trying to block out his own worries. They became lost in each other, even continuing to shuffle side to side after the song was over and the music picked up speed.

"Okay everyone. It's time to open some presents!" Stephanie pulled her away and sat her down to the table. Jessica proceeded to open present after present as she paused for everyone to comment.

"This one's from Jeff." Stephanie said handing her the package. Jessica looked to him.

"You got me the locket." She said touching her neck to let everyone see it.

"I wanted you to have something to open up here." He told her. She quickly ripped of the wrapping paper and lifted the lid.

"A back pack?" She looked at him questionably.

"Yea, it's for our camping trip."

"Oh god we're back to that."

"You promised." He reminded her.

"I promised to think about it." She looked around the crowd then lifted the backpack. "I'm going camping!" She said half heartedly but then got up and gave him a kiss.

When the presents were done, the music went back on and the party continued. Jessica made sure to stop and dance or talk with everyone who was there. As she made her rounds she noticed the new guy hanging back against the wall.

"It's David right?"

"Yea."

"So how are you enjoying the main event?"

"It's different but good. I'm learning a lot. I mean the dynamics of it…"

"It's a little overwhelming, I know but you get used to it and these guys are amazing."

"I don't know."

"Oh don't get me wrong; in the beginning they'll give you hell. You have to earn their respect but once you do you're set for life. Look at me; three years ago I cut them all out of my life. I didn't talk to any of them for awhile, but they're all here now and I've only been back for less than a year. Or at least I was back."

"Do you plan on returning?" He asked her.

"I don't know. It's a little weird." She paused. "Did you ever meet Shane, McMahon I mean; obviously you know Helms."

"He hired me, before the whole…" His voice trailed and Jessica nodded. She grew quiet. "I didn't mean to ruin the mood."

"No you didn't. It happened and I have to deal with it but I wish you luck." She smiled at him. "If you'll excuse me I have to use the little girl's room but try to mingle a little. Get to know everyone. The sooner you do more likely they'll stop ribbing you."

"I will thanks."

She went upstairs to use the bathroom and then rushed back down not wanting to miss any of the fun. In the foyer she ran into Matt.

"Hey stranger, it looks like they finally let you off food patrol." She gave him a hug. "Thank you."

"For you I would do anything." He told her.

"Did you guys get a chance to do any work on the house?"

"Not really, we spent most of the time you were away getting this thing set up but it will come." He shifted awkwardly.

"I hope so. I'm not sure you have enough space here to hold everything I brought. I think I went a little overboard."

"I'm sure you did. I like this outfit."

"Thank you. It's all part of the new me, new clothes, new house, and a new life, terror free." She smiled at him but even she could feel how uncomfortable he was. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just a little tired and I spent so much time making sure everyone else was fed that I didn't get a chance to eat anything for myself." He tried to quickly cover. The doorbell rang and he looked at her surprised. "I thought everyone we knew was already here."

"I'll get it. You just go try to grab some food before it's all gone." She told him and he nodded. "Oh and Matt? Thanks again." She kissed his cheek and Matt walked away ashamed.

Jessica turned her attention to the door as it rang again. Her smile faded as the man on the front porch came into view. She stood, frozen, staring at his face. Even after all these years, she still recognized the face of her father. She stared at him for a few minutes not believing her own eyes. This was Andrew Cooper Murdock, the man that for ten years she had called Daddy, before he walked away and shattered her world. So much time had passed but he looked exactly the same to her. He still had the blue piercing eyes that she also had and he stood with the same aura that had always demanded attention.

"This can't be real." She finally whispered but all he did was smile. His smile unnerved him even more. "How? I mean, why?" All she could come up with were questions. She looked up at him expectantly.

"I guess I should start with hello." He said. "Hello, Jessica."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

His lips were moving. Jessica could see that; the only problem was nothing he said many any sense to her. It was a jumble of sounds, not words because she couldn't get over the fact that he was standing there. This was the man who had started it all, her insecurities, her fears; they all began the moment he walked out of her life when she was just a child. Looking up she realized he had stopped talking and was waiting her to say something.

"I'm sorry; what?" She asked and he smiled.

"It's okay. I know I probably surprised you, and I'm sorry. Go ahead and take your time. I can wait."

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to you. Why are you here?" She asked as the door swung open and Matt came out.

"Oh hey Jess. I was just going to grab some more ice." He stopped when he saw she wasn't alone. Matt panicked as he sized up the gentleman in front of him. Was he the one? He was about to call for Jeff to come out but then he saw her face. This wasn't some stranger. She knew him. "Are you all right?" He asked her but she never broke her gaze and neither did the other guy. Matt stepped in front of her protectively and faced him.

"I'm sorry." Andrew said extending his hand. "I'm Andrew Murdock, her father." Now Matt understood why she looked so uncomfortable.

"Jess, go back inside. It's all right. I'll take care of it." Matt said guiding her to the door.

"No wait. I want to I need to talk to you. Please don't go inside." Andrew reached out for her but Matt knocked his hand away.

"Don't!" Jessica shouted. She touched Matt's shoulder forcing him to look at her. She couldn't continue to rely on him or anyone else to deal with everything for her. She had to start handling this herself. She nudged him gently to the side and faced her father head on.

"Thank you" he told her.

"Thank you? I'm not doing this for you. This has nothing to do with you. What the hell gives you the right to just come prancing up here after all these years?"

"Look, I know this took you for a surprise."

"You don't know anything about me!" She yelled, cutting him off. "How could you? You haven't been there. What did you think was going to happen here? Did you think I would just run up and embrace you? Or maybe I'd just give you a great big hug and say daddy I missed you all is forgiven. Was that it?"

"Well maybe not as easy as you said it but something like that."

"You can definitely forget that. There's no way it's gonna happen." Jessica said determinedly. With each word that she spoke she took a step closer and her voice grew louder. "Do you know why? Because I'm not that ten year old little girl you abandoned. The one who would listen to you shout out all those ugly words and then just accept your apologies when you were all done. It doesn't work that way anymore and that's your fault too. You started it all."

"I was wrong. I had some problems. There was a lot of stress and I didn't know how to handle it. Those things I would say were wrong. I know that now and I probably knew that then. There were too many issues and when it got too much I just turned to other ways to handle it. The alcohol, the violence, it was all too much. I wasn't fair to you or your mother. I just had to get out of there." Her father tried to explain.

"No, I don't want to hear it. You left me! You left me alone to deal with everything. You left me to watch her die. She withered away for two years and I had to witness that alone. Did you know that? Did you even know that Mom was sick? Did you care? I can remember when she died. I was the only one in that hospital room. I held her hand as she let out her last breath and that was it. It was just me." Her voice cracked as the tears came rushing down her face. "I had no one to turn to. No one was there to give me a hug, or tell me everything was going to be okay. Sure the McMahon's came running as soon as they knew but it wasn't enough. All through the funeral I kept expecting you to show up but you didn't. She was your wife."

"Jess, your mother and I…"

"No wait! I'm not done. I didn't get to the best part: Shane. I was terrorized by him for four years, four years. And do you know why? Because I was so desperate for any shred of a family connection that I ignored every sign. I let him control me; take any little piece of self worth that I had left and believe me he took it all." She pulled up her sleeve revealing her scar. She practically shoved it in his face forcing him to take another step back.

"Do you see this? This is how I chose to cope. This was the only thing I could think of to make it all go away and you know what's worse? It wasn't the first time I had thought about it. It was just the one time I actually went ahead and did it. After mom died and you didn't show up I used to spend hours thinking of ways to end it all. I just wanted it all to be over and it almost worked."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Nothing, there's nothing you can say. I don't want your apologies and I don't want any sympathy from you. You weren't there to help me with anything growing up. So, why now? I'm here trying so damn hard to move on and get a small bit of a life that I believe I deserve. Why should I let you waltz back in here? Well screw you! I don't want you here for this!"

She stopped her throat sore from yelling so loudly. She wasn't sure where all that had come from. Andrew now stood in front of her in shock. Apparently he hadn't expected it either. No one had, as she was now aware that several people had come out from inside after hearing her yell. She looked around in panic wondering how much they had seen. The façade she had put up for everyone, showing how strong she was had just come crashing down. Now she stood in front of them raw. Her face wet from her tears she couldn't believe what she had done. All her issues had come out for everyone to see. She stared amongst the faces and while some of them were too embarrassed to make eye contact those who did gave her the look she most dreaded, pity.

With all eyes on her, Jessica felt her anxiety grow. She needed to get out of there before she completely lost it. She could always rush back into the house but they would all follow her and she wasn't ready to deal with everyone. She saw Matt in the corner, still standing where she had left him, his keys in his hand. She walked over to him and he opened his arms prepared to give her a hug. Jessica, however, had other ideas as she snatched the keys from his hand and took off towards his car.

"Damn it!" Matt yelled following after her. He ran to the car and got there just in time to the passenger seat as she pulled the car away. "Christ Jess, can you slow down?" He said when they were on the open road. But she continued to ignore him. He let her go a little further but after they skidded on her right turn he had had enough.

"All right that's it! Stop the car now!" He placed his hand over hers on the wheel, and then spoke more gently. "Jess, it's okay. We're away now. Please stop the car." He let out a sigh of relief as she finally pulled the car over to the side of the road. She rested her head against the steering wheel and just cried. Matt didn't say a word, patting her back until her breathing had steadied.

"I'm sorry." She told him between gulps of air. "I don't know what happened. I just had to get out of there."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I wouldn't even know where to start." She asked as Matt's cell phone rang.

"Hold on a second." He told her knowing that it was Jeff. Someone must have told him what was going on and he could bet his brother was freaking out right now. He quickly answered the phone.

"It's all right. We just stopped along the side of the road. She just needs a second." He said before letting Jeff speak. Jeff wanted to talk to Jessica so Matt handed her the phone.

"I'm so sorry." She started to cry again. "I freaked out in front of everyone and ruined the party."

"Baby, don't even worry about it. I just want to make sure you're okay." Jeff asked.

"No." She admitted. "Is he still there?"

"He's left right after you did. It's a good thing too. There were a lot of angry people ready to kick his ass."

"Just tell me this wasn't part of anyone's surprise."

"Absolutely not." Jeff said. "We would never do that to you. I had no clue he was going to show up. No one did."

"Why would this happen now?"

"Honey, I just don't know." His heart broke as heard her sob. "Look, just come home. I'll get rid of everyone here and we can just chill out. We'll talk about anything you want or we don't even have to talk at all. I just want you here with me. It's gonna be okay."

"It's just too much. I mean, Shane, the rape, the trial, our house and now this? When does it end? I thought I was getting over it. I thought I was moving on. One glimpse at that man and I'm blurting out all my problems in front of everyone."

"Jess, that doesn't matter."

"You weren't there. You didn't see what I did. You didn't hear what I said."

"They're still your friends." He told her. "All they care about is that you're okay."

"But I'm not okay and I don't think I ever will be."

"Yes, you will. Don't ever think like that. You're dad showing up brought a lot back and you let it all out because you needed to. You needed to face everything you've been holding in. You needed to let him know how angry and hurt you are. You've been holding so much in for such a long time it's a wonder you haven't exploded yet. This could be more of a blessing than a curse. The way I see it confronting your past is only going to help you in the long run. Hopefully you'll get to see it the same way." She didn't respond which at least let him know she was thinking about it.

"Look, just take a minute then let Matt drive you home. I'll have everyone out of here."

"Okay." She agreed.

"I love you. Everything will be okay. Now let me talk to Matt." She handed the phone back and after Matt assured Jeff that they would be home shortly he hung up the phone. They sat in silence as Matt struggled for something comforting to say.

"Am I cursed?" Jessica turned to ask him.

"What?"

"Why is it that I can't have something good happen without the next problem crashing down? I keep trying to have this normal life but there's always someone trying to stop me. Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's a test of courage, stuff you have to go through to have the life you want."

"Yea well it sucks," She said. "And it's not fair."

"But Jess, no one said life is fair. Believe me, I know you have been through more than any person should ever go through and there's going to be more to come. Eventually, when the time is right it stops."

"When?"

"Whenever you're ready. The stronger you get the less effect this will have on you. I'm not saying all pain goes away, just that once you can deal with it more effectively the less it will hurt."

"But how?"

"The only way I know of is with patience and friends. Don't be afraid to let what you're feeling out. You keep holding everything in, wanting to make us think that you're all right. Sure that makes us feel better but it doesn't do anything for you. It's obviously not helping." Matt said. "If you don't take the time to deal with what is happening to you then it's just going to pile up, not get any better."

"I know it's scary." He continued when she didn't respond. "That's why we're here for you. You won't go through it alone, but you do have to go through it. Let us help you."

"I will." She gave him a weak smile. "Or at least I'll try."

"That's good enough for me, for now but do me one more favor?"

"What?"

"When you try to run off again, can you please stop using my car?" Matt smiled trying to make her laugh. Her eyes brightened. "Now what do you say we switch seats and head back home? I still haven't gotten anything to eat." They got out and switched seats and soon Matt had turned the car around and they were heading back home. He had even turned on the radio since she was more relaxed.

"Maybe I should bring my car down from New York. At least then when I want to bail I don't swipe your car."

"Maybe we should. It's been sitting up there for months and you know how I love your mustang." Matt said.

"Sure, then I'll have to watch to make sure you don't start taking my car."

"Man what I could do with that car if you just let me get my hands on it."

"I like my car the way it is. It's cute."

"A mustang is not cute. It's a machine."

"You know I think you're drooling." She teased. Matt glanced over at her.

"Just you wait and see. When I'm done with that car you'll be able to go from zero to 100 in no time flat."

"Yea, because I need that."

"You never know." His face was suddenly lit up by the headlights of an oncoming car.

"Matt look out!" Jessica cried out as the car rapidly came at them. He swerved the car to the right but at the fast speed they were going he wasn't able to keep the car under control. He slammed on his break and the car started to spin off the road. He spun the steering wheel trying to get it under control but nothing was happening.

"Hold on!" He yelled as the car rapidly approached the trees. They braced themselves for impact. The last thing he remembered was Jessica screaming as the car hit the first tree trunk. Then everything went silent.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

As soon as Jeff got off the phone he quickly rushed about getting people to leave. While there were some people who were grateful to leave the uncomfortable situation that had started to build, most of them fought Jeff wanting to stay and make sure Jess was okay. Eventually Stephanie had to step in and on her order everyone started to trickle out and leave, well almost everyone. As hard as they tried, neither she nor Jeff could get Amy to budge. Amy refused to leave until she knew for herself that Jess was okay. Jeff finally conceded and after Steph left with her husband and an assurance that Jess would call her, Jeff and Amy sat down in the living room and waited. When Jess and Matt hadn't arrived home after an hour Jeff called Matt's cell again but this time he got no answer. Amy watched him as he paced the room starting to panic.

"Jeff," She started trying to get him to sit.

"Where the hell are they and why won't anyone answer the phone?"

"Jeff calm down, I'm sure they're fine. They probably just stopped for a second. Besides it's not like anything else could go wrong." Jeff gave her a look then quickly turned away. Amy immediately got the sense something else was going on. "What is it?"

"It's nothing." Jeff dismissed her and went back to the phone. He called up Shannon to see if he had spoken to them but he hadn't. "Shann what if?" He didn't continue as he saw Amy watching him intently but he couldn't help but wonder if something or someone had gotten to them. Shannon swore he'd be there in ten minutes. When he arrived, he and Jeff spoke quietly in the kitchen trying to keep Amy from knowing how serious the situation could be.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on or do I have to start playing inspector gadget?" She asked sneaking up on them.

"Forget it Amy." Jeff said.

"Okay, then why are you so worried? Why all the whispering in another room? If it's nothing then how come before Shannon came you were wearing out the tread on the carpet with all your pacing?" She stood up to confront him. "Something is going on and I want to know what it is!"

"Jess, is still getting threats, really bad ones." Shannon said.

"Shann!" Jeff yelled.

"What? It wasn't like she would stop until she found out." He tried explaining.

"Wait a minute. What threats? Are they really serious?" Amy asked.

"Enough for the FBI to get back involved." Shannon briefly filled her in as Jeff continued to buzz anxiously around the room.

"Well then how come no one's called Agent Miller to tell him they're missing?"

"God, I'm so stupid." Jeff said running to the phone, with all the commotion Jeff had forgotten Miller was even in North Carolina. When he picked up, Jeff explained what was going on then listened for a few moments before hanging up. "He's on his way over."

"I can't believe you guys didn't tell Jess. She deserves to know." Amy told them.

"Ames now is not the time." Shannon warned her. "Besides what were we supposed to do? 'Surprise! Happy Birthday! You've got a new stalker!' I'm sure that would have went over well. Look, let's just find them, and then you can yell at us as much as you want."

"Fine. I'm gonna call Stephanie. Maybe she's spoken to her."

"Don't tell her about the threats." Jeff said and Amy looked at him exasperated.

"You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm not. The less people who know about this the better it is. I don't want to worry Jessica. She under enough pressure as it is. You saw how she freaked out today. Imagine how it would be if she knew there was still some psycho out there. Let's just deal with one problem at a time. For all we know it's all ready to late and she in danger now."

"Jeff, don't think that." Shannon said. "Maybe they got a flat."

"And couldn't answer the phone?" Jeff asked.

"They could both be outside changing the tire." He countered.

"Jessica doesn't change tires. She calls for help." Amy said.

"Yea but Matt does. What I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't jump to conclusions. I'm sure there's a rational reason for why they aren't back yet." Shannon said.

At that moment the phone rang, and Jeff rushed to it. Hopefully he picked up the phone. Amy and Shannon both saw Jeff's dejected look letting them know that it wasn't their friends. His appearance turned to shock as he dropped the phone to the ground unable to move. Shannon rushed over and picked it up.

"Jeff? Are you still there?" He heard Miller say.

"Nah, its Shannon man. What's going on?"

"There's been an accident."

"Are they okay?"

"I just got here but they already got Matt out. He's stable. They're working on extracting Jessica out of the car now." Miller told him.

"We're on our way. Where are you?" Shannon asked.

"No, I don't think you should come here. Go straight to the hospital. Matt is already on his way there."

"What about Jess?" Shannon asked and Jeff looked up at him, lost.

"As soon as they get her out I'll go with her to the hospital."

"Are they awake? I mean are they all right?"

"Matt was kind of talking but he wasn't coherent. Jessica's not conscious." Miller paused. "Just get to the hospital as soon as you can."

"We'll leave right now." Shannon said and hung up the phone. "Come on let's go." He looked to Jeff who was still unable to move.

"Jeff, it's going to be okay." Amy told him.

"Yea. Now let's go. Jess is waiting for you at the hospital." Shannon said trying to hide the severity of the situation. "Dude, come on. She needs you. Matt does to."

"Maybe we should slap him." Amy suggested.

"No, I'm okay." Jeff finally said. "Shann, can you drive?"

"No problem." He said and they made their way out to the car.

On their way no one spoke. From the distance, Shannon could see the flashing lights. He turned in the opposite direction hoping Jeff hadn't seen them. From the tone in Miller's voice he could tell it wasn't good and it was probably best that Jeff not see it. Especially since he had said they were working on extracting Jessica from Matt's car. Extracting: even the word seemed bad. He just prayed that it all just sounded worse than it actually was.

When they got to the hospital Jeff didn't even wait for Shannon to park the car. He rushed into the emergency room and headed straight to the front desk. He didn't even bother with the people who were waiting in front of him as he pushed his way past them.

"Excuse me!"

"Sir, you're going to have to wait your turn." The woman at the desk said.

"You don't understand. My girlfriend and my brother were in an accident. I was told to come here."

"Sir, you're going to have to wait."

"Just tell me where they are!" He yelled. A nurse came over to the counter.

"Mr. Hardy?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Just have a seat right over there and I'll let the doctor know that you're here. It should only be a minute." She reassured him. Jeff reluctantly went to the chair and sat down. Amy and Shannon came in shortly after.

"How are they?" Amy asked.

"I don't know yet. They told me I had to wait here. God I can't stand this. All we seem to do is sit in waiting rooms." Jeff said frustrated.

"Honey, it's going to be okay." Amy put her arm around him.

"This is my fault. If I told Jess what was going on then she probably wouldn't have run off. None of this would have happened."

"Jeff, you don't know that." Shannon said. "We don't even know what happened."

"Mr. Hardy?" A man stood in front of them. "I'm Dr. Anderson. I'm treating your brother."

"How is he?" Jeff stood up.

"He's going to be fine. He has a couple of scrapes and cuts. His most serious injury seems to be a broken leg. All in all I say he got lucky."

"Thank god."

"We're going to set the leg than keep him overnight for observation but you can see him now."

"What about Jess?" Jeff asked.

"Who?"

"My girlfriend, she was in the car with him."

"Right, the other victim, as far as I know she hasn't arrived yet."

"What? Why not?"

"I understand they were having difficulties getting her out of the car." The doctor said. Jeff's face went pale. "Why don't you go in and see your brother, and I'll have one of the nurses check with dispatch to check on their arrival." Jeff nodded then turned to Shannon and Amy.

"Call Helms and have him go tell my father and then bring him up here." He told them. Amy nodded reminded of the similarity of the situation. Just a few months ago she was having an almost similar conversation with Matt, only this time it wasn't Jeff in the hospital.

"We'll take care of it." Shannon assured him. Jeff let the doctor show him to Matt's room. When he got there, Matt sat up.

"Hey." Jeff said coming over to him.

"Dude, I'm sorry. I don't even know what happened."

"It's okay. Are you all right?"

"I'm a little sore and my leg hurts like holy hell but other than that I'm fine." Matt told him.

"Yea, the doctor said it was broken. You'll be in a cast for awhile. So much for returning to the ring huh?"

"Yea." Matt gave a small chuckle. Both brothers stared at each other. "You haven't said anything about Jess yet." Jeff's eyes teared up at the sound of her name but he quickly tried to cover. He didn't want his brother to get upset or notice how worried he was.

"What is it?" Matt asked knowing better.

"It's going to be fine. It's just that they haven't brought her in yet."

"Why?"

"They were having trouble getting her out of the car but Miller's there and he said that they were working on it. In fact your doctor is checking on it right now, so don't worry." A woman came into the room.

"Okay Mr. Hardy. I'm just going to set your leg and get your cast on. You'll be good before you know it." Matt nodded as the woman started to tend to his leg.

"Go," Matt told Jeff. "Find Jess."

"Are you sure? I don't know if I should leave you."

"People break their legs all the time. It's no big deal. I'm fine. Now go see what's going on with Jess."

Jeff stepped out of the room and was going to head to the nurse's station but saw Miller talking to Amy and Shannon. As he hurried over to them, he grew more alarmed noticing there was blood on the front of his shirt.

"Is that Jess'?" He asked touching the shirt. "How bad was she hurt? Is she awake? Is she going to be all right?"

"We just got here. The doctors are examining her now." He told him calmly.

"How come there's blood on your shirt? Level with me. How bad is she?"

"Jeff calm down. I'm sure the doctors will come get you as soon as they know anything." Shannon explained.

"Yea, come here and have a seat." Amy told him gently as she guided him to a chair. The way everyone spoke and catered to him freaked him out. He wondered if they all ready knew something he didn't.

"Does anyone know what happened? I mean how did the accident happen?" He asked.

"They're still doing the preliminary investigation. For some reason the car went off the road and they crashed into the woods. Hopefully Matt or Jessica can give them some insight." Miller said.

"You're not leading the investigation?" Jeff asked.

"Right not we're still treating it as a regular vehicle accident. If it proves to be something more than that FBI can hopefully take it over. We don't want to step on anyone's toes."

"Yea but you know what's going on. They don't."

"They have some idea. I mean it's not every day that a FBI agent shows interest on a random car accident. Not to mention they're familiar with the situation with you guys."

"Right, I'm beginning to miss being known as just some wrestler. Now we're infamous to everyone, cops included. Hell some of them probably even responded to my accident." Jeff's face changed.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"Does anyone else think this all too familiar? Think about it, the house being trashed, and the car crashing into the woods. It's like its all being repeated. Someone is copying what has happened before."

"It could still be a coincidence." Miller cautioned. "I wouldn't go jumping at anything until we have something concrete."

"Yea besides where would the house fit in?"

"Well Shane used to leave Jessica messages. Maybe that's her message."

"It would be easier to call." Shannon said.

"Not if you're currently not allowed to make phone calls." Jeff said pointedly.

"You think this is all Shane's work?" Amy asked.

"Of course I do."

"You're forgetting something." Miller interrupted. "Shane is in isolation. He cannot make phone calls and he also can't send mail or have any interactions with anyone but the hospital staff. Not to mention the packaged was placed, not mailed and I assure you even Shane couldn't pull that off."

Jeff wanted to argue with him but he saw Dr. Anderson approaching and abrubtly stopped the conversation. He stood up and went over to him.

"How is she?"

"She's resting now. We're running a few tests to determine if there are any internal injuries but her vitals are good. She does seem to have suffered from a head trauma, so we'll have to monitor that and she also has several lacerations that are going to require stitches but all things considered, I'd say you have a very lucky girl on your hands. Considering that they had to saw the car open to get her out we were expecting more severe injuries."

"So she's going to be okay?"

"Well, I want to air on the side of caution and wait for all her results to come back but I do think things are looking good."

"What about the head trauma?" Amy asked.

"We're hoping for a minor concussion but again we'll keep an eye on it."

"Thank you so much." Jeff said shaking the doctor's hand.

"It's my pleasure." He smiled. "She asked for you."

"Then I can see her?" The doctor nodded at him. "Someone needs to tell Matt she's okay. It'll make him feel better."

"I'll do it." Amy said.

"I'll wait here for your dad." Shannon told him. Jeff nodded then followed the doctor to Jessica's room. He had heard what the doctor had said but he needed to see her with his own eyes. Not to mention how badly he wanted to hold her.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Jeff drew a deep breath when he saw her lying in the hospital bed. How many times do we have to go through this? He thought reminding himself that it had only been a few months since she was last in that bed. He walked over so quietly that she hadn't even heard him. When he touched her hand, her eyes flew open. He saw the cuts on her face and body and was unable to speak.

"So does this mean I get out of camping?" She asked trying to break the mood. One glimpse of her smile was all he needed as he reached out and hugged her gingerly.

"I was so scared I lost you." He whispered into her ear.

"I guess I am tougher than I thought." She said.

"How do you feel?"

"My head hurts."

"Aw baby." He kissed her forehead. "Is that better?"

"If I said yes would it help me get out of here quicker?"

"I hate to break it to you but you're not going anywhere."

"But I'm okay." She told him. She tried to sit up but the room swirled around her and she lay back down.

"Yea sure, you're fine."

"No fair. I didn't even get to have any of my birthday cake. There was cake wasn't there?"

"Yes there was cake and you can have some as soon as the doctors say you can go home. We can throw another party for you if you want." Jeff told her.

"I think I'm good with parties right now."

"I'm sorry. I only wanted this to be a great day for you and look what happened. Your dad showed up and you ended up in the hospital."

"Wicked party man." She gave him her trademark smile. He climbed into the bed and put his arms around her. "Mmm, that's nice. You're getting pretty good at this."

"I try."

"The car's ruined. Isn't it?" She asked. Jeff nodded.

"They had to cut you out. Do you remember any of it?"

"Not really. It's still fuzzy. Does Matt hate me?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"He loved that car and it was my fault we were out in the first place."

"Stop right there. There is no way you are responsible for this."

"I shouldn't have lost my control. I let him get to me." Jessica said.

"So because you're human you're to blame for all this? Jess he showed up after more than 15 years. How else are you supposed to react?"

"I could have done it differently. I could have…" Jeff silenced her with a kiss. "What was that for?"

"Because I love you and I won't listen to you do this to yourself."He told her.

"Yea but I" Again he didn't let her finish pressing his lips firmly against hers.

"So let me get this straight, every time I blame myself you're gonna give me a kiss?" She said after they parted.

"That's right."

"Well in that case, do you remember the other day when it rained? That was my fault." She grinned at him.

"Oh really?" He leaned forward and kissed her neck.

"I'm also responsible for the hole in the ozone layer, and global warming, animal extinction, overpopulation..." Jessica continued to roll off several items each time receiving a kiss as he worked his way up her neck and back to her lips. She didn't need to talk anymore. They ignored their environment, the beeping of the monitors, the sounds of people talking in the hallway; it all faded away for nothing mattered except the two of them. Her hands roamed up his back as his found their way up the front of her shirt. They were lost in the moment. So lost in fact, they didn't hear the sounds of someone knocking on the door, until it had become more of a loud bang.

"And we were worried that she was badly hurt." Amy said loudly as she pushed Matt and his wheelchair into the room. Jessica and Jeff quickly untangled themselves. "This one here got himself a room but he didn't want to go up until he saw for himself you were okay."

"And they let you push him around?" Jessica asked

"Actually no. They let Joe the orderly do that." She pointed to a young man now standing in the doorway. "But for some reason he didn't feel comfortable coming into the room. I think the two of you making out on a hospital bed might have had something to do with it. Shouldn't the monitors have gone off or something?"

"All right Amy. We get the point." Jeff said.

"They're making you stay overnight too?" Jessica asked Matt.

"Don't worry it's just a precautions. All I did was break my leg and it was a clean break too. I'll be up and around before you know it." He gently tapped his leg.

"I already signed it!" Amy said proudly. She pointed to the blob of color on his cast.

"Somebody forgot to tell Amy she had to wait for it to dry." Matt laughed.

"Excuse me Mr. Hardy?" The orderly interrupted them.

"Yes?" Both Matt and Jeff responded.

"I think he means the cripple." Amy said and everyone stared at her. "It's a joke besides it's not like it's permanent."

"I should have known you wouldn't cut me any slack." Matt told her.

"Who me?" She gave him a beaming smile.

"I have to get you to your room." Joe reminded them.

"I guess it's time for me to say goodnight." Matt told everyone.

"I'll come check on you soon." Jeff said.

"Yea right. You're not going to leave her side. You take care of yourself." He smiled at Jessica. "And Jeff, try to let her get some real rest, okay?"

"I will." He said as Matt was wheeled out of the room. Jessica turned back to face him.

"He's gonna be all right, right?"

"Jess, he's going to be fine." He pulled her close to him again. "Now where were we?"

"Excuse Me?" A voice said from the door. Jeff was going to tell whoever it was to go away but when he tuned he saw an officer at the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm Detective Harris. I'm investigating your accident."

"Investigating?" Jessica questioned.

"It's normal procedure, mam. We're just trying to figure out what happened."

"Well, I'll help in any way I can but to be honest with you I'm still a little fuzzy on what happened. I don't remember much."

"Anything you can tell us will be very helpful." He told her. Jeff helped her slowly sit up then went to take a seat. "Actually sir, if you don't mind we prefer to do the questioning alone." Jeff looked to Jessica who reluctantly nodded at him. He gave her a quick kiss and let her know that he'd be right outside.

"What would you like to know?" She asked after Jeff had left.

"Let's start from the beginning. Where were you headed?"

"Uhm, we were going back home, to Matt's house."

"Is that where you reside?" He asked her.

"Kind of. Our house is being renovated so we've been staying with Matt right now."

"We being you and Jeff Hardy, Matt's brother?" When she nodded he continued. "And where had you been before you decided to go home?"

"Home actually. Uh we were having a party, my birthday party actually but uh, I had an unwelcome guest so I just needed to get away for a little but we were on our way back." She explained.

"You said you were at a party. Did Mr. Hardy have anything to drink?"

"No, not that I know of." Jessica grew nervous at the direction of the questioning. She had no idea if Matt had been drinking but she hoped he hadn't. He had only left the house because of her and if he got in trouble over it she would never forgive herself. "Matt's very responsible. He wouldn't do anything like that."

"Okay. Let's go back to the moments before the accident. Can you tell me what happened? Try to remember as much as you can."

"Uhm, I remember we were driving back to the house. Matt and I were talking about bringing my car back from New York." She paused trying to remember as much as she could.

"Go ahead." The officer prompted her.

"I saw the headlights."

"Of another car?"

"Yea. They were really bright. They practically lit up the whole inside of our car. I yelled for Matt to look out. He swerved but I guess he lost control. The last thing I remember is the car heading towards the trees." She told him.

"Is there anything else you could think of? Perhaps what kind of car it was? Could you tell where it came from?"

"No, I'm sorry. I don't remember anything until I was being wheeled out of the ambulance into here."

"Well thank you very much. You were very helpful. I'll let your boyfriend know he can come back in."

"Thank you." She watched him walk out of the room.

"Hey baby. How'd it go?" Jeff asked sitting in the chair next to her.

"Okay I guess. I just wish I could have helped more. I don't want them to think that this is Matt's fault."

"Is that what they asked? Do they blame Matt?"

"I don't know. They asked me if he had been drinking and I told him no. That was right, wasn't it?"

"I don't think anyone gave him a chance to drink. He was cooking all night."

"But what of he did?" she asked. "I mean what if he had had knocked back a few beers? The only reason he was out was because I ran off in his car again."

"Jess, Matt was going for ice. He would have been out either way so don't start the blame game again but I can guarantee you he was not driving drunk. Don't worry about it." He told her.

"I just want to help but I couldn't tell him a thing. I couldn't even tell him what kind of car the other vehicle was."

"But there was another vehicle?" Jeff asked.

"Yea but that's it." She closed her eyes and tried to recall the accident. She could see the lights. She could feel the car spin. She could even see the fast approaching trees. She remembered Matt putting his right arm protectively in front of her but after that everything went fuzzy. She could hear voices. They must have been of the emergency workers. She remembers someone calling out her name, telling her to stay with him. She opened her eyes looking confused.

"What? What is it?" Jeff asked.

"It's strange but I for some reason I remembering hearing a voice."

"Who's voice? What did they say?"

"I don't know. It's not really clear. I think my mind's playing tricks on me, because it almost sounded like Miller. Strange huh? I mean why would he even be here?"

"Yea, it's weird." Jeff said laughing it off but on the inside he was in full panic mode. He had been so concerned with her well being that he didn't think of the fact that Miller had come in the ambulance with her. What if it all comes back to her? Jeff knew he would have some serious explaining to do. He could probably explain off not telling her, he did have her best interest at heart but the last thing he wanted with everything else going on is for her not to feel safe again. He looked away not knowing what his next step should be.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey everyone! Really sorry about the lack of updates. Things got a little hectic and my writing suffered but everything's good now and I promise to update more frequently. Thanks for your patience!**

Chapter 28

As Jessica was being taken for a CT scan which the doctors had sworn was just a precaution, Jeff decided to go check on Matt. He wanted to see how his brother was doing but he also needed some advice. Ever since Jessica had mentioned Miller's name, he had been on edge. It didn't help any that when he entered Matt's room, Miller was there.

"How's Jessica?" He asked Jeff when he came over to them.

"What are you doing here?"

"Jeff!" Matt scolded.

"I'm sorry. It's just that Jess kind of remembered you in the ambulance," He told them.

"So you told her the truth?" Amy asked sitting in the chair next to Matt.

"No. She blamed it on the concussion. She thought she was imagining it."

"And you didn't correct her?" Amy scowled at him.

"I told you. Now is not the time."

"I'm afraid is it the time." Matt told him.

"Why what's going on?"

"Jeff, sit down." Miller waited until he did so. "The accident has been turned over to the FBI."

"Why?"

"It turns out there was a witness. He was the one who had called for help. Plus they've had time to analyze the crime scene."

"Wait, did you say crime scene?" Jeff asked.

"It's being treated as a vehicular assault. The witness saw that another car intentionally veering into their lane driving them off the road. The skid marks from both of the cars confirm it. What's more apparently the witness watched the driver of the other vehicle get out and take pictures of the accident."

"What do you mean he took pictures?"

"The witness claims he saw the other driver get out; walk over to their car and take a couple of shots of Matt and several more of Jessica."

"While they were trapped in the car? Jeff asked shocked. "Who would do that sort of thing? Did you get a description?"

"It was very vague and they were too far away to get a good look but we put what we got out to areas officers, maybe they will come up with something." Miller conceded.

"Which means you better tell Jessica and fast." Amy told him. "You can't keep this from her anymore."

"Listen, I just spent almost a half an hour trying to convince her that none of this was her fault and she doesn't even know what's going on. Now you want me to go back downstairs and tell her that she still has someone threatening her life and Matt's too. You know Jessica as well as I do. What do you think we'll happen?"

"She'll blame herself." Amy conceded. "But then she'll accept it and move forward. Honey, we know you're intentions are good but you can't protect her from this forever."

"Jeff, you're going to have to tell her." Matt added.

"Fine I will but not here. I'll tell her when we get home. She needs to be in a place where she feels safe and this isn't it. She hates hospitals enough as it is." Jeff faced Miller. "This is really happening again?"

"Yes." Miller nodded.

"And you swear that there is no way that Shane is responsible for this?"

"I told you it's not possible."

"Look, don't think I'm crazy. I know it's not logical. It's just that if it was Shane it would be easier to deal with. You know? It's not so unknown." Jeff explained.

"I understand but I want you know that we will find out who's doing this. It won't be like last time." Miller promised. "I won't let anyone get hurt."

"Yea well we've already been hurt and I can only imagine what this is going to do to Jess when I tell her the truth." Jeff said.

"We just have to figure out a way to make her feel safe again." Matt said.

"Did you check into any of the security companies I gave you?" Miller asked.

"I didn't have a chance but you can bet I will now."

"It might be a good idea if you do the same." Miller warned Matt.

"I don't think I was the real target." Matt said.

"I wouldn't be too sure." He cautioned. "Whoever drove you off the road made a point to take your picture as well. Just to be on the safe side, I'd give them a call."

"He will." Amy said. "I'll make sure of it." Jeff raised an eyebrow at her but she ignored it.

"Do we have room for one more in here?" Gil Hardy said coming into the room.

"Sure come on in." Matt told his father. "Pop, you remember Agent Miller."

"Please call me Nick." Miller said shaking his hand.

"He has a first name." Amy said sarcastically. "It suits you."

"Well seeing as I see you guys more than my own family, I guess it's only right. Besides the way everyone keeps saying Agent makes me seem uptight."

"Nick it is." Gil said. "So ya'll going to tell me what's going on? Where's Jessica?"

"They took her for a CT scan." Jeff told him.

"Is she okay?"

"They say it's a common procedure. She hit her head pretty hard so they just want to check it out. She's got a huge gash on it that they just finished stitching up but they think she'll be all right and she seems good. She's just a little out of it."

"And what about you?" Gil asked Matt.

"I'm fine. The cars totaled though." He told him.

"Well, be thankful it was the car and not one of you. I take it since Nick is here this wasn't just a car accident." Neither one of his sons would answer him which told him all he needed to know. "Maybe you should get some sort of police protection or like those guys you had last time."

"You mean Vince's guards?" Matt asked. "I don't think that's a possibility, what with Jess not on speaking terms with him. Don't worry. We'll be fine."

"I'm your father; worry is in the job description. How bad is it?"

"Matt will fill you in. I gotta get back to Jess. I'll check in with you when she has a room." Jeff said standing up.

"Yea right. Don't think you're getting away so easy." Gil warned. "I'll check up on you when I'm done pestering your brother." Jeff nodded then headed for the door he stopped to face them all.

"Remember no one says anything to Jess till we get her home." Once they all agreed he went back down to the emergency room where Jessica was. When he entered the room he saw Helms there keeping her company. "No room yet?"

"Hey!" Jessica said as he leaned down to give her a kiss.

"The doctor said she should have one shortly." Helms told him.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. If they don't have any rooms, I'd have no problem going home." She said.

"Not until they clear that head of yours." Jeff said.

"Well that may take awhile." Shane joked.

"Guess what? Shane agreed to go pick up my car and drive it back here when he goes to New York next week." Jessica said excitedly.

"It'll be my pleasure." Helms said grandly.

"That way when Matt's able to drive he can use mine if he wants until he gets a new one."

"I think that a great idea." Jeff told her.

"Good news!" Joe said coming in. "We got you a room."

"Finally." Jeff said.

"Well we were waiting to see if we could get you on the same floor as your brother."

"Did you?"

"Yes sir. She'll be right down the hall. It'll be easier for you and your many visitors."

"Visitors?" Jessica asked.

"There are a lot of people in the waiting room wishing to see you. The nurses told them they'd have to wait till you got a room." Joe explained.

"I'm really not in the mood to see people today." She told Jeff. "I mean you guys are fine but at least not until my head clears up."

"Still hurts?" Jeff gently stroked her head.

"Yea and I think I need to eat something. I'm feeling nauseous."

"That's a pretty common side effect of the concussion." Joe told them. "But I'll let the doctor know as soon as I get you to your room."

"Thank you." Jessica smiled at him.

"No problem. I'm a big fan."

"I'll go let everyone know that they'll have to wait until tomorrow to see ya." Shane said.

"Tell them nicely please." Jessica said.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle. You just make sure you get some rest. There'll be a lot of people piling in tomorrow." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving.

Joe wheeled her out on the stretcher talking the whole time about wrestling. Jessica flashed an amused look at Jeff who was following along side of them. Eventually, they were in Jessica's new hospital room.

"I'm sorry we didn't have anything private." Joe said gesturing to the woman asleep in one of the beds. I'm sure it's not the accommodations you're used to."

"You'd be surprised." She said. "It's fine, thank you."

"Let's get you into bed." Joe reached out to help her up. Jessica shakily rose to her feet and was immediately overcome with dizziness.

"It's all right babe." Jeff said helping to steady her. They got her into the bed and Jeff pulled the blanket up. "Why don't get some sleep?"

"You're going to be here when I wake up right?" She asked him.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." He told her. "I won't let you out of my sight." Assured Jessica closed her eyes. Jeff watched as her chest rose and fell.

This isn't right, he thought as he gazed at the stitches above her right eye. They should be living the life they had wanted, starting their future. Instead it was like nothing had changed and they were right back where they started.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Good morning." Jeff greeted her when Jessica finally opened her eyes.

Hey." She said softly. "What's going on?" She looked around the room and Jeff could tell that she was confused.

"Do you remember what happened? You were in an accident." Jeff told her. He waited to see if she could recall anything.

"I hit my head." She said touching her forehead.

"Yea, do you remember it?"

"My head still hurts."

"The doctor said it probably would for a couple of days." He told her.

"How's Matt?" She asked.

"Matt's fine. He just has to lay off the leg. They're going to release him today."

"Can I go home too?" She asked hopefully.

"Not yet baby. You have to wait till that head of yours clears up a bit more."

"I don't like hospitals."

"I know that." Jeff took her hand. "You're just going to have to hold on for a little longer. But I promise it won't be that bad. There are a lot of friends who are expecting to see you today. The time will go fast trust me."

"If you say so." She said as someone came in with a tray of food.

"Good girl. Now I want you to try to eat something." Jeff told her.

"Sure, because hospital food is so good."

"Just try. Maybe later I'll smuggle you in some real food." He lifted the plate cover and looked at what had to be the most unappealing tray of food he had ever seen. "Well at least eat the toast." She picked it up and took a small bite.

"Good morning!" Jessica's nurse came in. "How are we feeling today?"

"Like somebody smashed my head against a dashboard." Jessica said.

"I'm Ellen, you're morning nurse." She smiled checking Jessica's IV then proceeded with checking her vitals. "Okay, everything seems good. Your doctor should be in shortly and I just thought we should give you a heads up that our visiting hours will begin soon. If you need anything just push the button."

"Okay, thank you." Jessica looked to Jeff. "How bad do I look?"

"You look fine." Jeff lied to her. To be truthful she looked pretty bad. Although covered with gauze, the bump on her head looked fairly big and Jeff could see the bruises building up behind it while the rest of her face was very pale.

"Let me see a mirror." She said trying to get up. Jeff helped her bring the IV over to the bathroom. She moves slowly but Jeff was relieved she wasn't as shaky as the night before. She stood in front of the mirror. "I look like the elephant man."

"You do not."

"Jeff, I can't let people see me like this. My hair is a mess and my face." She touched her cheek. "Is that a bruise or dirt?"

"Okay so you look like you've been in accident. You have been. I wouldn't worry about it. But if you want, I can go see if Amy has a brush or something."

"Do you mind? I just don't want anyone feeling bad for me; or at least any worse than they all ready do."

"Let me get you back in bed." He told her. They moved back towards the bed. She gently sat back down. "Now you finish your toast and I'll go run over to Matt's room." He gave her a kiss before leaving. Jessica forced herself to eat the toast and even drank the tea before pushing the tray away.

"Here I come to save the day!" Amy sang rushing into the room waving a brush in the air.

"Where's Jeff?"

"I forced him to stay with Matt so he won't get in the way. This is girl time. Now let me see what we have to work with." She took a good look at her. "It's not that bad."

"You know I can tell when you're lying." Jessica said.

"Don't worry. I know you too. That's why… come on in!" She called out and Stephanie walked in with a large bag. "I had already called for reinforcements."

"Okay, let's get to work here." Stephanie said pulling clothes out of the bag. "There's a bunch of people already waiting in the lobby. Everyone wants to see you before they have to fly out but I told them they had to wait till you were ready."

Jessica smiled as Amy and Stephanie fluttered around her. First they helped her change so that she didn't have to face everyone in a hospital gown then they got to work on her hair and even applied a little makeup being careful not to press to hard on her face and cause any pain. It wasn't long before they had Jessica fully ready for company.

"Not bad." Jeff said coming into the room. "You know you two could go into business."

"So I look good?" She asked.

"You always look good." He gave her a kiss.

"You have to say that." She teased.

"Listen I have to ask you a favor. They're releasing Matt now. Do you mind if I take him home and get him set up? It won't be long and I promise I'll come back as soon as I can."

"Don't worry, I'll be here." Amy told her.

Jessica looked away. She wanted Jeff to stay by her side so much. Talking about the accident was one thing; but what if they brought up her latest breakdown she had in front of almost everyone at the party? She had been relying on Jeff to give her the strength to face everyone. Plus, if there was something she didn't feel like talking about Jeff would be able to clear the room quickly. _Don't be selfish._ She warned herself. _Matt needed Jeff too._

"We'll be fine." She finally told Jeff. "Don't worry. Just try to come back soon. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." He gave her a long kiss. "If you get tired just let Amy know and she'll kick everyone out. Any problems give me a call."

"We will." Amy said.

"Okay, have fun." Jeff gave Jessica one last kiss before he walked out of the room. Miller was waiting down the hall.

"Ready to go?" Nick asked him.

"Yea. Let's get this over with quickly." Jeff said following him down the hallway.

He didn't feel right lying to Jessica but he didn't think he had any other choice. Shannon, Shane and his father had already left with Matt more than an hour ago. It was decided that this was the best way for him to meet with the security company without Jessica knowing the truth. He was hoping that they could get all the work done on the house before she even got out of the hospital. Then he would tell her everything and hopefully their reinforced house would make her feel safer. He got into Miller's car and they drove towards Jeff's house.

He was thankful that Miller had offered to help. Jeff had no idea what to expect or what he needed from the security company. They didn't talk much while they were on the road. There was too much going on inside Jeff's head to focus on any type of conversation and Miller understood. Jeff was so out of it that he almost didn't realize they were about to pass the scene of the crash. If it hadn't been for the flashing lights of all the cop cars he would have missed it all together.

"Stop the car!"

"Jeff I really don't think that's a good idea. They're still investigating."

"I don't care. Stop the car!" He ordered. Against his better judgment, Miller pulled the car to the side of the road. Jeff immediately jumped out not even waiting for Miller.

"Jeff hold up." Nick rushed to catch up with him. He grabbed his arm. "Ok listen. If you're going to do this you're going to have to stay with me. Don't touch anything and don't say a word. You can't get in anyone's way. Do you understand?"

Jeff nodded so Miller lifted the police tape and let him come in. He followed him back to the trees where what was left of Matt's car was. Miller didn't have to worry about Jeff saying anything. He was too speechless after seeing the wreckage to say a word. What everyone has been saying is right. It was a miracle they hadn't been more seriously hurt. Staring at the crushed metal pressed up against the trees all he could think was that they should have been dead.

"As far as we can tell the car spun off the road over there." Miller pointed to the tire indentations in the grass. "Somehow the car hit this tree first. The only thing that makes sense is that at the last minute Matt was able to get control of the car. He directed it to hit on his side first then that force caused the car to ricochet and hit that tree over there on the passenger side where it came to rest. It's a good thing too. If it had hit like this on Jessica's side at full force there wasn't any way she would have made it."

Jeff made himself a silent reminder to hug his brother when he saw him. He had saved Jessica's life and put his own at risk to do so. If it wasn't for Matt Jessica would have been gone from his life forever. His relief turned to fear as he realized what this all meant. This wasn't the same as last time. Whoever is doing all this isn't trying to scare Jess anymore. They were trying to kill her.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"So wait, she was a he?" Jessica asked unable to hold back her laughter.

"Go ahead and laugh," Jay told her. "But it wasn't funny to me."

"Oh come on, when you sobered up it had to be hilarious." Amy said.

"Embarrassing was more like it and I swore Adam to secrecy.

"I amazed you were able to keep it to yourself." Jessica told Adam.

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much."

"Well, now that the secret is out you can tell everyone." Jessica joked.

"Don't you dare!" Jay shouted out. "And that goes to all of you here too. I'd never hear the end of it. None of you can tell a soul."

"Hey you spilled it." Amy said laughing.

"Aw, come on guys." He begged.

"All right. Don't worry. You're secret is safe with us but there's no guarantee that Amy won't use this for her benefit." Jessica relented.

"That's right. I'm talking serious favors." Amy told him. Jessica heard the woman in the other bed stir.

"I think we have to keep it down." She told everyone.

"Actually cutie, we hate to say this but we're going to have to leave or else we'll miss our flight." Adam said.

"It's okay at least someone gets to go out and have fun." She said pouting.

"You'll get your chance." Adam kissed the top of her head.

"Yea, you just have to stop spending so much time in hospitals." Jay said coming to give her hug.

"Believe me, I'm trying."

"Well, hang in there kiddo. Before you know it you'll be back in the ring giving us all a swift kick in the ass." He finished saying goodbye and she sadly watched the two of them leave. So far today, she had been visited by almost all of her friends and each time as she watched them walk away she felt a twinge of jealousy. She was grateful that they all took time to see her but they got to go off and continue with their lives leaving her behind at the hospital. Thankfully each time someone left, Amy was there refusing to let her feel sorry for herself.

"Okay, time for another hand." Amy said pulling back out the deck of cards.

"Ames, no offense but I think I'm all pokered out. Plus I still think you cheat."

"You're concussed so I'm gonna let that comment slide. Now clear that table and let's go." Amy started to shuffle the deck and Jessica sighed.

"Good afternoon." Jessica looked up and recognized Joe the orderly from last night coming into the room.

"I'm saved." Jessica exclaimed.

"I brought your lunch." Joe told her.

"On second thought I'm doomed."

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better." He laughed.

"Good. Now maybe you can tell the doctors that so they'll let me out of here."

"I'm sure you'll be out of here before you know it." He told her placing the tray down. "If you need anything just give me a ring." He gave her one last smile before leaving the room.

"How come anywhere you go, you get people fawning all over you? I mean this is a public hospital." Amy asked.

"He's just doing his job. If he had brought me a tray of gourmet food that a person could actually eat then you could say he was fawning." She looked at the tray dreading it.

"Oh come on. It can't be that bad." Amy said lifting the tray. "I stand corrected."

"Jeff said he was going to bring some food back anyway." Jessica recovered the food in disgust. "What do you think is taking so long? I would have thought that Matt would be settled by now."

"You know the boys. They're probably thinking of some stupid contraption to make Matt's life easier. Don't worry. I'm sure Jeff will be back soon."

"Yea well in the meantime, I get stuck with this."

"All right how about I go down to the hospital cafeteria and get some food from there. I mean I have to pay for it so it has to taste better right?"

"We can hope. If it's not just grab me a bag of chips or something."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

"Very funny." Jessica called out to her. Alone for the first time all day, she tried to get a little rest but the bustle from outside made it impossible. Instead she settled on watching a little television. She flipped the channels until finally landing on a soap opera. At least it will pass the time, she thought. She was almost getting into it when they switched to a commercial break. The local newscaster came on and she was going to change the channel until she saw a picture of her, Jeff and Matt.

"Great." She muttered. "It didn't take long to get back into the headlines."

"Excuse me, Miss Murdock?" A woman dressed in a dark suit came in.

"Yes." Jessica said hesitantly.

"I just need to ask you a few more questions about your accident."

"And you are?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Detective Taylor." She quickly flashed her badge.

"Okay, but I already told the officer last night all I know and I'm sorry but I don't remember anything new."

"Well let's just go through some questions and see what comes up."

"Okay." Jessica agreed. "Is Matt in any trouble?"

"No why?"

"Well, last night they asked a lot of questions about him like that's where they were focusing. I just wanted to make sure that no one thinks it's his fault because it wasn't."

"No one here thinks it is." She assured her. "Now let's start at the beginning, you were heading back to your house…"

"Right. Matt and I were talking so I wasn't really paying attention to the road. The next think I knew I saw a car coming. Actually I only saw the headlights. They were pretty bright."

"Were they regular headlights or would you say the other car had it's brights on?"

"I'm not sure." Jessica admitted. "I just know that they really bright. I told Matt to watch out and he swerved and lost control."

"Did you notice what side the lights were on? Was the car on the right side of the road?"

"I'm sorry I can't remember. I know everyone is trying to figure out what happened and I wish I could help. I just don't know."

"Okay so you didn't see the car turn towards you?" Det. Taylor asked again.

"No why? Is that what Matt said?" Jessica asked. When the woman didn't answer she pressed on. "Do you think someone intentionally tried to drive us off the road?"

"We're just trying to eliminate different scenarios right now."

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Amy came back into the room carrying food.

"Amy, this is Detective Taylor with the police." Jessica told her.

"Oh, Detective Taylor with the police?" She stated stressing the word police. "Can I speak with you Detective?"

"I'm in the middle of an interview." Det. Taylor said.

"It will only take a minute besides she's suffering from a concussion. Plus she hasn't eaten all day. I brought food so right now is not a good time."

"Well, I'll only be a few more minutes.' She said dismissing Amy, who refused to leave. She turned back to Jessica. "Can you think of anyone who would want to harm you?"

"Harm me?" Jessica asked. The familiar pit began to build in her stomach. "What do you mean harm me?"

"What can you tell me about the threats?"

"Threats?" Jessica's eyes were now wide open. "What are you talking about?"

"Okay that's it. You're leaving now!" Amy grabbed the woman's arm pulling her to the door.

"Excuse me? Do you know who I am?" The detective protested.

"Does it look like I care? If you have a problem with me speak to Nick although I am pretty sure he's the one who's going to have a problem with you." Amy said pulling her out into the hallway. "Detective Taylor? Shouldn't you have said Agent Taylor?"

"What? I didn't let her know I was with the FBI." She told her.

"Miller said no one would talk to her until she knew the truth."

"Well that's not normal protocol."

"I don't care." Amy shouted. "That was we all agreed upon. Jess has been through a lot and this is not the place to tell her. She has to feel safe."

"And how is she supposed to feel safe when there is someone out there trying to kill her?" Taylor asked her.

"No it can't be." Both women stopped arguing. They turned and saw a white faced Jessica leaning against the door frame liked a scared little girl. Amy didn't know how long she had been out there but judging the look on her face she had heard enough.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Jess, honey let's get back to bed." Amy said trying to distract her.

"No!" She yelled causing the nurses at the desk to look at them. "Is it Shane? Did he escape? Is he out all ready?"

"Shane is still in the mental institution. There's nothing to worry about." She told her soothingly.

"Then what? Why does she think someone is trying to kill me? What was she talking about? What threats?"

"Jess, you got to calm down." Amy reached out for her friends trembling hand but she shook him off. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"No. I want to know what's going on."

"Jess, please."

"Fine, just tell me it's not true. Tell me I'm just imagining all this, that it's just some big mistake. Please?" Jessica looked to her hopefully and it practically broke Amy's heart.

"Honey…" Amy grew silent telling her all she needed to know. A moan escaped from Jessica mouth as she slumped down to the floor.

"Oh god, I can't do this again." She mumbled. "Where's Jeff? We need to find Jeff and Matt. They could be in trouble."

"They're okay. Come on let's get you back in the room." Amy struggled to pick her up but Jessica was like dead weight offering no help.

"Let me help you." Agent Taylor reached for her other arm.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" Amy snapped at her.

"Here let me." Joe came up behind them. He picked her up and took her over and gently laid her on the bed.

"You should leave" Amy told the agent.

"No." Jessica said. "I want to know what you know. Are you really with the police department?"

"I'm with the FBI. I'm part of Nick Miller's team." She admitted.

"And when did the FBI get involved?"

"We received threatening letters that had been sent to your employer. There was also a threat left at your house."

"When they trashed the house." Jessica finished for her.

"No. We not sure if that has anything to do with it. There was a package left at your house, a doll house." Taylor opened up her folder and handed Jessica a photographs of the miniature.

Jessica clenched the pictures tightly with both of her hands. She couldn't believe what she was looking at and as she continued to look through them they did nothing to settle qualm her fears. She got to the last picture of the miniature dolls and she dropped the pictures.

"That's supposed to be me. How could someone do this?" She stated in disbelief. "It's Shane. It has to be."

"We already checked into that. He has had no contact with the outside world."

"But it has to be. Who else would know all this?"

"We don't know, a fan maybe." Agent Taylor explained. Jessica thought back to the angry group at the airport when she first got back home. "Or it could just be someone who took interest in the trial."

"There wasn't really a trial. None of this got out." She stared at the photographed replica of the prison Shane had built for her. "No its Shane. He's figured out a way. He's getting me back for what I said at sentencing."

"Jess, there's not possible." Amy said.

"You obviously don't know Shane like I do. He said he wouldn't stop until we were together and he meant it. I can't believe I thought this was over. He's not going to let me go." She glanced back down at the picture of her doll. It was dressed just as she was the night Shane raped her. The memories of the rape came rushing back to her. Again she felt his breath on her neck, his hands on his body, and her own terror as he forced himself into her. It was too much as she tightly clenched her eyes trying to force the image away.

"Jess!" Amy shouted trying to reach her friend. "Come on honey. Don't do this." She put her hands on her shoulders shaking her until Jessica finally opened her eyes.

"Where's Jeff?" Jessica asked again.

"Don't worry. He's just getting Matt settled. He'll be here soon."

"No he should be here now. It's not safe out there."

"Okay. I'll call him. We'll get him here right away." Amy told her grateful that she was responding although she could tell by the look in her eyes something wasn't right.

"No. There's not enough time. He could be in danger, Matt too." She tried to focus but the images of Shane attacking her kept flashing before her making it harder.

"Jess…"

"Don't you see? He's not going to stop. Not until he makes us all pay. I can't do this again." Jessica started to stand up.

"Jess what do you think you're doing?"

"Shane's on his way. We have to get out of here. It's not safe."

"No one's going to harm you." Amy said.

"We have people here keeping watch." Taylor agreed.

"It's not going to help. They couldn't stop him the last time. He's got to know I'm here. We can't stay." Jessica turned to move and felt the pull of her IV. She grabbed it and yanked it out of her arm.

"Jessica!" Amy cried out.

"I got to go!" She went towards the door but Amy stopped her grabbing her arm tightly.

"Let go of me!" Jessica screamed. Amy struggled to hold on but Jess wanted none of that. Her struggle to stay in the moment failed. The hospital walls started resembling the house back in Connecticut and it wasn't Amy holding on to her, it was Shane. She shoved with all her might and Amy fell to the floor with a thud.

"We need help in here!" Agent Taylor called out. Joe made it to the scene first. He grabbed Jessica to prevent her from leaving. She freaked out and started to flail as Joe pinned both of her arm.

"No! Let me go! Somebody help me. Get off of me. Please don't do this! Don't touch me!"

Amy, still on the floor where Jessica had pushed her, started to cry. She could tell what was happening. Jessica didn't think it was Joe restraining her. She thought it was Shane and in Jessica's mind she thought she was going to get raped again. It didn't help any that Joe was now bringing her over to the bed. Jessica started screaming uncontrollably as Joe held her down on the bed.

"Someone help me!" Jessica screamed thrashing about as a nurse came over with restraints.

"Stop don't do that!" Amy yelled in shock but the woman ignored her. Another nurse came over and injected Jessica with a needle. Gradually her struggling and screaming subsided, eventually coming to a stop as the sedatives took effect.

"She's going to be asleep for awhile". Joe assured her as the nurses tended to Jessica hooking a new IV to the other arm and cleaning up the damage she had done to the original arm.

"I have to call Jeff." Amy stated still in shock. "He should be here before she wakes up."

"That's a good idea." Joe said as he started to follow some of the nurses out. "I'm sorry I had to do that."

"It's okay. She was pretty out of it."

"Yea." Joe agreed shaking his head.

"She's not really like this. I know you're a big fan and I don't want this to mess with you. It's just she's been through a lot."

"It's okay. I understand." Joe gave her a smile before leaving the room.

Seeing her lying motionless in the bed, Amy finally understood why Jeff had been so reluctant to tell Jess the truth. He had been trying to avoid what had just happened. Jeff had known that Jess wasn't ready to handle it. And now instead of finding it out in the safety of her own home surrounded by those who loved her, she found out in a cold hospital room by an equally cold stranger. Amy didn't know what was going to happen when she woke up. Nor was she sure she wanted to be there when she did. She had never felt as useless as she had felt a few minutes ago when her friend was begging her for help. For once it was Amy who was at a loss and that was something she never had to handle. With a heavy sigh she picked up the phone and dialed Jeff.

"Hello?" Amy was relieved that he picked up the phone so quickly.

"Jeff! You need to get back here as soon as you can."

"Why what's wrong? What happened?"

"Jess knows. She found out everything."

"How the hell did that happen?" Jeff asked and Amy rushed through the story as quick as she could but found herself unable to tell him about Jess' breakdown.

"Jeff you need to get here right away. She didn't take it too well."

"Let me talk to her."

"They have her sedated right now." She told him.

"What? Why?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Just hurry and try to get back before she wakes up."

"I'm on my way now."

Amy didn't even say goodbye to him. Even though she was heavily sedated, Amy was afraid of waking Jess up. She still couldn't believe how shaken up she was by all that had happened. She had never actually witnessed one of Jess' breakdowns. Sure there had been some hysterics back in the day but nothing like this. With nothing to do but think she sat back down in the chair and waited for Jeff.

Twenty minutes later Jeff came crashing into the hospital room. He took one look at Jessica bound to the bed and started to fume.

"What the hell is this?" He went over and immediately started to remove the restraints.

"Jeff, she went berserk. They had to subdue her."

"Like this?"

"The nurses were concerned for their safety." Jessica's doctor said coming in.

"Their safety? Look at her. She's barely over a hundred pounds."

"It was for her protection as well. She ripped out her IV and shoved your friend to the floor. It was the safest way to get her under control so we could sedate her."

"Yea well they're off now and I don't want them to be used again. Is that understood? She's not a criminal."

"We weren't treating her like one." The doctor said trying to calm Jeff down. "Again it was to keep her from further harming herself."

"Whatever." Jeff turned his attention back to Jessica. He gently stroked her cheek. "I shouldn't have left. I'm sorry baby."

"I'll be back to check on her when she wakes up." The doctor said but Jeff ignored him.

"Where's Miller?" Amy asked when they were alone.

"He's here somewhere. He was stopped by a member of his team on the way up. He said he'd be here shortly."

"Good because I got a few choice words for him."

"Why? What exactly happened?" Jeff asked her.

"She didn't want to eat her lunch so I went down to get something else. When I came back up I found Agent Taylor questioning her. I tried to stop her. I pulled her out into the hallway but Jess already knew something was up. She knows about everything, the letters, the car being run off the road, even the doll house. She flipped out. I've never seen anything like it. I tried to stop her from leaving and calm her down but she pushed me to the ground so hard."

"And that's when the nurses came in?" He asked and she nodded.

"Joe came in and tried to get her back to bed but she was fighting too much. He pinned her arms and she freaked out. I think she though he was Shane."

"The rape," Jeff said. "So she's flipping out, probably having flashbacks and what do they do? Drag her to a bed and tie her down. What were they thinking?"

"It was a bad scene. I don't think they had a choice." Amy told him.

"I should have told her from the beginning. It's just she wanted to be happy so much and with the party and everything. You saw that smile. I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"You know at first I didn't understand. I thought you were wrong but I was. I believed the Jessica I knew could handle it but that was what she wanted me to think. You know the real her. You were able to see what was really going on inside that mind of her. I don't blame you anymore and I'm sorry I gave you crap about it."

"Sure let's just hope Jess sees it that way when she wakes up."

"I'm sure she will, eventually." Amy smiled at him.

"Yea, well listen you don't have to wait around. You look like you could use a break."

"Who me? I'm fine."

"Really it's okay Ames. Besides it might be best if it's just me here when she wakes. That way she won't feel embarrassed."

As much as Amy wanted to stay and make sure Jess was going to be okay, she reluctantly agreed. She had all ready admitted that Jeff knew her best and if he thought it was better for them to be alone than she would have to go along with it. She gave Jeff a quick hug than left to go check up on Matt.

Jeff was grateful for the silence. It gave him a chance to clear his head and get rid of all his frustrations so that when Jess woke up he would be ready to help her deal with everything. He watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful and calm. Jeff wished that he could figure out a way for her to be like that all the time. He had to remind himself to do what was best for Jessica. Shielding her from all of it obviously had not worked. It just set her up for a bigger fall besides there wasn't anything left to hide. His best bet was to just come clean, tell her all she wanted to know and then just be there to pick up the pieces.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Jessica was out for a few more hours until Jeff finally heard her stir. Immediately he jumped from his chair and went over to her. Her eyes opened slowly to see Jeff's face in front of her.

"Is it really true?" She asked him. He nodded his head and tears formed in her eyes.

"No honey, please don't cry."

"Why does this keep happening?"

"I don't know. You would think if there was anyone who deserved a break it would be us." He gave her a smile but it couldn't stop her from breaking into tears. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "We're gonna get through this."

"How do you know?" She asked.

"Cause we did the last time and we're stronger than we were then. I won't let anyone hurt you or anyone else I love." He swore.

"Why couldn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to, I really did but I didn't find out until you were away. Then when you came home you were so happy and with the party, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I wanted you to enjoy at least one night before it all came crashing down again. I'm sorry." She didn't say anything to him at first and he was afraid she was angry with him.

"You were afraid I was going to crash." Jessica said eventually. "You were right."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just got so scared. I mean when I heard them talking, confirming everything I feared, I just lost it." She paused for a moment shaking her head. "I saw those pictures. Seeing the house, the rooms, those dolls, everything; it was too much. I had to get out. I started thinking about the rape. When they tried to stop me I just felt trapped. There were people everywhere and I could have sworn Shane was there."

"Honey."

"No I know. It's not possible but it felt like it. All the sudden it was Shane again and he was holding me down. It was strange. There was a part of me that realized what was going on but I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop me. I knew there was no way Shane could be here but every time they did something to me, every time they touched me, it brought something back and it felt so real. When they brought me to the bed and tied my hands down, I stopped knowing where I was and all I could do was yell for help."

"I am so sorry I wasn't there for you." Jeff told her. "I shouldn't have left."

"I can't move on."

"What do you mean?"

"How am I supposed to face what's coming when I can't deal with what has already happened? I flipped out in a hospital. I mean with all the doctors and the help around here, what the hell was going to happen to me? Why is it I can't rationalize anything before jumping of the deep end? I hit Amy. She wasn't there to hurt me but it didn't matter."

"Jess, you were scared. Nobody is going to fault you for that, especially not Ames. She understands. We all do."

"Well, I don't. I keep saying how I want to take charge of my life but I can't."

"Yes you can."

"Why are you so sure?" She asked him.

"Because I know you. I know what you're capable of and as much as you don't think so, I know you can get through this. We will get through this."

"How?"

"By doing what we do best, being there for one another. It's like I said before, you're not alone in this anymore and you never will be again."

"It just doesn't seem possible."

"Well sure now it doesn't because it all just hit you. No one expects you to jump up and act like it doesn't matter. But I know that it won't be long before that fighting spirit of yours comes charging in. When you came back to the ring, even with Shane still threatening you and Vince telling you to quit, you wouldn't give up. I don't think you will now either. So if I can believe in you, all that's left is for you to believe in yourself."

"I'll try." She finally said.

"That's my girl." Jeff leaned over and gave her a kiss. "And I'll be there every step of the way."

"Knock, knock." Miller said knocking on the door. "Is it all right if I come in?"

"Yea." Jessica told him.

"First off, I want to apologize for what happened today." Miller said.

"It wasn't your fault."

"They're my team and they should have waited like I told them to. Now to make up for it, I brought an apology gift." Miller brought his hand from behind his back revealing a McDonalds bag.

"I'm could kiss you." Jessica exclaimed excitedly.

"You do that and I want an apology gift." Jeff said as Miller came over and handed her the bag.

"Finally real food." She said pulling out the burger. She took a huge bite. "Mmm, thank you so much."

"It's not a problem. I knew Jeff had wanted to pick something up for you and since we didn't get the chance I figured I'd run and get it." He told her. Jessica didn't respond too busy eating.

"You'll have to excuse her. I don't think she's eaten anything since the party."

"It's all good." Miller responded. He and Jeff continued to talk while Jessica happily finished off her food. When she was done she felt refreshed and listening to their harmless banter helped calm her down as well. She put the trash in the bag then stared at them both.

"Okay, I'm ready. What do you know?" She asked.

"About the accident?" Miller asked.

"About everything. Start at the beginning."

"All right, about a couple of days ago I received a package from the WWE. It contained a bunch of letters they had gotten addressed to you."

"How many?" Jessica asked.

"Let's just say a lot."

"Can I see them?"

"If you really want to but I don't think that's a good idea." He said looking to Jeff. "It's not necessary."

"I'm not sure I want to but I need to." She told him. Go on."

"I was coming down here to show them when Matt called to tell me about the house."

"The doll house." Jessica said. "You don't have to go into that. You're co-worker Agent Taylor I believe, was nice enough to show me the pictures."

"She shouldn't have. At least not like that."

"Forget it, it happened. What about the accident? What happened?" She asked. Jeff watched as Miller retold everything he knew. Even though she seemed calm, he left out the disturbing part about the guy coming out to take the pictures, not wanting to upset her. He'd let Jeff tell her about that when he thought the time was right.

"So where do we go from here?" Jessica asked.

"Unfortunately we don't have much to go on right now. But I don't want you to feel like you're not safe. We know what's going on right now and we understand the severity of it."

"Yea, in fact Miller and I met with a security company that's going to fix up the house. I'm going to do everything possible to make that place a fortress for us." Jeff told her. Jessica nodded but he could tell she was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by it all. "I just don't want you to worry about anything."

"Yea, cause there's nothing to worry about." She said sarcastically. "There's only someone trying to kill me, us."

"We'll find them before they ever get a chance." Miller promised.

"There's no one to find. It's Shane."

"Jess, I know Shane has done a lot to you." Miller started. "I can understand why you think he would be doing this now. But I got to tell you there is no possible way it could be him. Shane is locked up in that hospital. He's not allowed to use the phone, or send any mail. He's not permitted to see anyone. I'm sorry but it's not him."

"It has to be." Jessica said shaking her head. "That doll house had every detail of that place. That doll was dressed up as me. Shane trashed my bedroom just like he did at Jeff's. He ran Jeff off the road. He ran Matt and me off the road. It's too similar not to be him."

"Okay, what about the doll house? It was dropped off at the house not mailed. Shane's in Connecticut and trust me he can't just walk out." Miller countered.

"Maybe he had help." Jeff offered agreeing with Jessica.

"So all the sudden he's using an accomplice?"

"He did last time with Meg." Jessica reminded him.

"She wasn't a willing accomplice."

"So she said but that doesn't mean there's any reason Shane wouldn't have one now." She said.

"But Shane has no way of talking to anyone. I know it's better for both of you to think its Shane. The thought of another person out there can't be easy but you have to keep yourself open to other possibilities."

"And so should you." Jessica said. "Look, I just don't want you to dismiss it. We've all overlooked what he's capable of in the past. Promise me you'll look into it."

"Fine." Miller reluctantly agreed. "I'll keep an eye on Shane."

"That's all I ask." Their conversation was cut short as her doctor came walking in.

"I see we're feeling better." He said and Jessica looked to the floor embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry about earlier. I'm not really good at handling surprises." She tried explaining.

"Don't you worry about that. Let's take a look and see how you're doing." He proceeded with a series of tests to see how her concussion was doing and checked her stitches. "So far so good, I just want to check out that IV wound." He lifted her wrist and removed the bandage to see how much damaged she had done to herself. As if Jessica wasn't embarrassed enough over her actions, she knew it didn't make her look any better when he saw her old wounds from her suicide attempt. He paused when he saw it looking up at her.

"It was a long time ago." She tried to explain. He nodded at her rewrapping the wrist.

"Okay, well your head injury seems to be improving. You're reactions are delayed a bit but that's typical with this type of trauma."

"So you're going to clear me to go home right?"

"Well, there are still some things I'm concerned with." The doctor warned her.

"Like what?"

"I'd like to bring down Doctor Gregory."

"What's he going to do?" Jessica asked.

"She actually and I just want her to talk to you a little bit."

"So she's a shrink." Jessica stated knowingly.

"We prefer the term psychiatrist." He told her. "I would feel more comfortable if she saw you. Maybe you should spend a little time up there. She can help you figure out how to best deal with what is going on."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You want to send me to the psych ward? Absolutely not." Jessica protested.

"You have a mental history that concerns me."

"We appreciate your concern doctor but I really don't think Jess needs that." Jeff said.

"Well I'm not going to clear her until I'm sure she's not at risk to harm herself or others." The doctor stated firmly.

"You can't do this." Jessica said turning to Jeff. "Don't let them put me back up there."

"Honey relax, they won't. She needs to go home. You can't just lock her up like she's crazy. Is there someone else we can talk to? Your superior or something?"

"He'll respect my professional opinion. Jessica had an episode. She had to be restrained by the staff."

"Yea, well what about my opinion. I know I didn't handle today well but how exactly do you expect someone to react when they've been through what I've been through and then find out that there is still someone out there, who just tried to kill them? I mean come on be real. I'm not going to hurt myself and I'm sure as hell can't hurt anyone else." Jessica told him.

"Look doc, I understand your concern but keeping her here is only going to make it worse." Jeff said.

"Again, I'm not going to release her until she spoken to Doctor Gregory." The doctor stood firm and Jessica looked panic.

"Yea well you can forget that happening." Jeff said finally losing his cool. "You know I looked over the fact that you had a rape victim forcible held and then tied to a bed, but putting her in the psych ward is absolutely ridiculous. What are you trying to do here? Are you really concerned with her well being or are you just trying to get your name in the papers? I know there have been reporters sniffing around trying to get the scoop. Have you been helping them out?"

"I'm not going to even dignify that with an answer." The doctor said steamed.

"Really? Maybe because it's true." Jeff argued.

"Perhaps I can help." Miller stepped between them. "I'm Nick Miller with the FBI."

"With all due respect agent, I'm the medical professional here." There was arrogance in his voice that set Miller off.

"And I work for the federal government so here is what I have to say. There's someone out there who is trying to hurt her and it's my job to make sure that doesn't happen. With everyone in the world knowing that she's here in a public building that anyone can access, I don't feel she's safe. So on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I'm ordering that Jessica be released so that we can properly protect her." The doctor didn't say anything at first but everyone could tell he was fuming as Miller stared at him defiantly. "That was an order not a request so I suggest you start her discharge papers because she's leaving tonight."

"She hasn't been medically cleared yet."

"Just bring your supervisor in and will take care of the details with him." Jeff said. They watched as Jessica's doctor turned and walked out of the room without another word. "Well that was strange."

"Thank you so much." Jessica said to Miller.

"Yea, do you even have the authority to do that?" Jeff asked.

"Not really, but let's hope he doesn't check it out."

"Well thanks anyway. I owe you one." Jeff slapped his back.

"Don't thank me yet. We still don't know if it worked." Miller told them. He sat down in one of the chairs and the three of them waited. Eventually the chief of staff came in and after talking with them all he finally cleared Jessica for discharge with assurance that she would be monitored carefully and if they had any problems they would bring her right back to the hospital, to see a different doctor of course.

A nurse came in and removed Jessica's IV, then Jeff helped her change so that as soon as they were ready they could leave. After another hour, Joe was wheeling Jessica out to the waiting taxi. The smell of fresh air immediately put Jess at ease, happy to know that she was finally out of the hospital and this time, she swore to herself, she wasn't going to let anyone do anything to her that would make her go back.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

After Miller saw Jessica and Jeff off, he returned to the office with one thing in mind; or more precisely one person in mind, Melissa Taylor. After Jessica had flipped out Taylor had made herself scarce. She even left the hospital before he could get there to confront her. Nick walked into the office and everyone looked away. No one dared to make eye contact which was fine by him. He immediately went to one of the conference rooms where she was sitting at the table with papers thrown about.

"So how is she?" Taylor asked calmly when she had realized he had come in.

"She's safe and on her way home. No thanks to you." He dropped his keys on the table. "What the hell were you trying to pull?"

"What? I was just trying to do my job." She said almost dismissively.

"That's bull. You're up to something. I thought I made myself perfectly clear when I said no one was allowed to talk to Jessica until I said so. So what part of that didn't you understand?"

"It's standard practice to speak with a victim as soon as possible to prevent them from forgetting all the details."

"She doesn't even remember anything to begin with!"

"Well I could have worked with her, maybe even jogged her memory. I know I was getting somewhere."

"Really? Now was that before or after they had to strap her down and drug her." Miller asked sarcastically.

"How was I supposed to know she'd go all crazy?"

"If you had read the file,"

"I did read the file." She said cutting him off.

"Then you should know that it said that she had been through a lot and had a history of a nervous breakdown."

"Yes that was in there. But I know what I saw in the courtroom and that was a woman determined to move on with her life. I would think she would have wanted to face this head on." Taylor tried to explain. "I guess I was wrong."

"Wanting to move forward and being able to actually do so are two different things. For every step she takes forward there's always something else that pushes her back."

"That's all the more reason we should push her. Get her to realize what is happening and deal with it."

"That's not the way Jessica works. You saw her today, she couldn't handle it." Miller argued.

"Well now she knows. So when do we go over and talk to her?"

"Provided nothing else goes wrong, I'll be back there tomorrow."

"Why wait?" She asked him. Miller looked at her in awe. Hadn't she heard anything he had said? What's more, she had witnessed the damage she had cause and didn't seem to care. He could tell Taylor was ready to go in for some more.

"I want to give them a chance to get settled in and for the damage you caused to dissipate. After what happened today, Jessica needs a little time for her nerves to calm down."

"You know, you seem overly concerned for her, for all of them."

"It's our responsibility to protect the victim."

"No, it's our obligation to solve the crime." She said pointedly.

"Taylor what is your problem?"

"My problem is that right now I'm staring at an agent who looks like he's forgotten what his job is. You're too close and letting your feelings compromise the investigation."

"I don't need you to tell me my job! I'm running lead here."

"So you keep saying." Taylor said sarcastically.

"What's the hell is that supposed to mean? Do you have a problem with the way I'm running this operation?"

"As a matter of fact I do. You should be out there investigating and looking for clues like the rest of us not pampering a group of overpaid misfits. Let them handle their own security because it doesn't matter how safe you make them if we never catch this guy."

"Overpaid misfits? Is that it? Do you have a problem with who we are protecting?"

"I have a problem with what we aren't doing, like catching some creep so we can return to the real issues of the world, not just some overemotional chick's problems."

"You're unreal." He told her. "What do you have against Jessica?"

"You wanna know? Fine. I think she's weak. She runs around playing a victim instead of doing something about it and the rest of them just help her do it. It's annoying and pathetic. Not to mention it sets the woman's movement back thirty years."

"Well your compassion is beyond belief. You know I hope you never have to deal with even one of the problems Jessica's had her life. You're a woman. How could you be so cold about everything?"

"See that's the difference between you and me. If I let my feelings get in the way then nothing gets accomplished. So I'm going to put aside my dislike for them and solve this case."

"Really?" Miller asked looking at her in shock. He had worked several cases with her and had known her to be a no nonsense agent but this he didn't expect.

"Absolutely, you see I have no ties to the first case. I wasn't involved so I can look at it more open minded. Whereas you, you feel you have something to prove. You want to make up for not catching McMahon quicker."

"That is not true." He said defiantly.

"Isn't it? I read the notes." She said almost goading him. "Who solved the last case? It wasn't you. Jeff found her but by the time he did it was too late to stop him from raping her and by the time you arrived she had already been shot. You didn't do much but clean up the aftermath and now you both are trying to make it up to her. She probably loves it."

"You don't know Jess."

"Oh I know enough. She's got the typical childhood trauma. Came from an unhappy marriage, abandoned by her father, grew up alone with no one but her and the family money. Later on in life she gets herself a stalking and then starts crying why me? If you play the victim your whole life, eventually people are going to see you as one and act upon it."

"What is your damage?"

"I'm not the damaged one. You may want to rethink all this. If you can't do your job without breaking whatever sanity Little Miss Fitness has left then maybe you should step down." She smiled at him.

It took all of his strength for Miller to hold it all in. As a matter of fact, she was lucky. If she hadn't been a woman, he would have decked her by now, co-worker or not. Her cold assessment of Jessica had him itching to fight back but he couldn't because he finally realized what she was doing. Her complete disregard to the chain of command had already shown him and the way she spoke to him now only convinced him more. She was trying to further her own career and in the process make him look bad. Nothing would make Taylor happier than the chance to run lead on such a major case.

"You know what? This conversation is over. Furthermore, due to what you revealed today, I forbid you from speaking to any of the victims in this case. From this point on you do nothing but phone work. I refuse to allow someone with such a lack of respect for a victim's well being be out there as a reflection of my team or the bureau. If you're that unhappy with the way I've decided to handle the case then why don't you talk to the chief and request a transfer or something?"

"She did." Miller turned and saw his boss, Stuart, standing in the door way. In the heat of the argument neither one of them had thought to close the door allowing the whole floor to hear their argument. "But she failed to mention her actions of the day or her personal beliefs."

"Stu, listen." Nick started to explain but he stopped as Stuart held up his hand.

"I've heard enough. It's my turn to speak." He said closing. "Now I know you are both aware of what a high profile case this has become and the last thing I need is word getting out that there is fighting among my team. So I'm going to lay down the law. Taylor, why don't you give us a few minutes? When I'm done here I will be speaking with you also." She nodded red faced and quickly left the room.

Miller took a deep breath. He had always had a good relationship with Stuart having worked with him for years. So much in fact that he had become to see him as a friend, eating dinner at his house and attending family functions. But he also knew that Stu could be a no nonsense man who doesn't have time for quarrels and knew how to separate friendship and workplace.

"I'm sorry." Miller said.

"So what's this I hear about the FBI ordering the release of a mentally unstable patient?"

"That doctor was just grandstanding. She's not unstable, just scared."

"I believe the diagnosis was post traumatic stress. You ordered her release from the hospital?"

"Look, I know she's not 'normal'" He raised his hands in quotation marks. "At least not right now but that doesn't mean she should be locked up. Besides, Jessica's not going to be any help locked away in a psych ward." Miller tried to explain.

"But she would be safe."

"She's not going to harm herself."

"I don't mean that." Stuart said. "Just hear me out. If she was in the mental ward, they have security there. Anyone trying to come in would have to pass the front desk to get in. We wouldn't have to worry about another attack."

"And what about what that would do to Jessica mentally?"

"Well, it is a mental ward. I'm not saying it's the best safe house in the world to be in but in her case it might have worked."

"No it wouldn't. Besides, Jeff would have been pissed and completely uncooperative. Not to mention I really think it would have done more harm than good where Jessica is concerned and I don't think it would have prevented another attack. Whoever is doing this isn't going to care, they'd find a way."

"So what is your game plan?"

"I'm not sure. I mean we don't have much to go on. The description the witness gave of the other vehicle was just as vague as the assailant's. There are no viable fingerprints from the dollhouse. The only thing we can do is follow up on the letters the WWE gave us. We have addresses and we've been working on contacting them but no one has sent up a red flag."

"It must be frustrating." Stuart commented.

"Honestly? It is. That's probably why I spent the morning with them. At least if I could help Jeff with the security I could at least feel like I was doing something productive instead of waiting for a tip to fall from the sky."

"So that's the only reason you went?"

"What do you mean?" Miller asked.

"Nick, we've worked together for years. You've never gotten this close. I'm not just talking about now. Even with the kidnapping you let them get too involved."

"I never let Jeff come along. I didn't even want him to come up to Connecticut. He just came up himself but I did try to keep him out of the loop. He was just too stubborn."

"Look, I'm not going to judge but I think there's something more there."

"I'm not going to lie, they're good guys." Miller admitted. "They definitely don't deserve all of this and regardless of what Taylor said I'm not letting it interfere with the investigation."

"All right, I'm just going to say this. I know the time you invested in this case. They trust you so I don't want to pull you off but you've got to remember what you're actual job is. I ignored when you threw a fit in the courtroom and I had to drag you out of there before you were in contempt. I'm also going to let the situation at the hospital pass also but that's it. I don't want to hear about anything else. Remember it's not just me watching, and you're walking a fine line here."

"Thanks Stu. What about Melissa?"

"I'll handle Taylor. She's still on the case. You could use all the help you can get but I'll talk to her and get her to tow the line." Miller nodded as Stuart headed to the door. "Just solve this one."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Home sweet home," Jeff said opening the door. "Well not really our home but it will have to do for now." He took her hand and helped her into Matt's house.

"You know you don't have to be so gentle. I'm not going to break." She said.

"Really? So care to test that theory out?"

"Hello! Right here on the couch." Matt called out to them. Jessica looked around and was surprised to see that no one was there.

"They left you here alone?" She asked.

"Well Shannon and Amy were here for awhile but they uh had something to do." Matt said catching himself. The truth was they left as soon as they found out Jessica was coming home.

When Amy had come to see him, she had been shaking. Matt could tell her encounter with Jess at the hospital had really thrown her off. In fact for the first hour it had seem more like he was taking care of her than vice versa. As sad as it was to say, it had felt good. It was the first time in awhile that she had turned to him for a sense of comfort. She had shown him her vulnerable side that he had almost forgotten existed. Unfortunately, Shannon arrived soon after that and with another person present Amy put back up her tough exterior.

She acted all normal again and almost convinced him she was fine until Jeff called to say they were on their way back home. While the release of Jessica was something to be celebrated, Amy was tense. She quickly said she had something she had to do and jumped up to leave. Matt could tell Shannon looked surprised but he tried to cover for her by telling their friend that Jeff had already told him he wanted a really quiet scene for Jess return. Amy flashed him a grateful look before running for the hills.

In the end he had understood. He had been through enough of Jessica's breakdowns that while it upset him he didn't freak out anymore. But he still remembered how awful and useless he used to feel about them. It wasn't something he had known how to handle. Amy was probably feeling the same way and that wasn't something she was used to. So when she heard about Jess coming back she ran.

"Yea they probably wanted to avoid me." Jessica said as she glumly sank down on the loveseat.

"That's not true. It's my fault really. I thought you guys would want some alone time, you know. Not a lot of people around to hover." Matt said knowing he couldn't very well tell Jess that. He knew she already felt bad.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Jeff said. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll all be here tomorrow."

"Yea, Helms too. I spoke with him earlier and it turns out they're not using him this weekend. He's gonna do some promo work nearby instead." Matt told her.

"So see? The gang will all be here." Jeff said sitting next to her.

"Until I flip out and deck someone."

"Would you stop that? Don't be so hard on yourself. They're your friends no matter what. No one is going to hold what happened against you so why should you?" Jeff asked.

"They wanted to put me back in psych ward for what I did. How am I not supposed to let that affect me? They think I'm going crazy again. Maybe they are right."

"No. They're not. Look at me." He said taking both of her hands into his. "You're not going crazy and you have to stop thinking that you did in the first place."

"Then what would you call it?"

"You got scared. You were alone and you had Shane terrorizing you. You said it yourself; you didn't have anyone to turn to. So the way I see it is you didn't go crazy you just lost your way."

"And if I lose my way again?" She asked him.

"It's never going happen. I won't let it." Jeff said smiling at her. "Nor do I think you will."

"Me neither." Matt said finally joining the conversation. Jessica looked over to him lying on the other couch, his leg raised and covered in plaster. As hard as she tried she couldn't push out the thought that it was her fault that he was in that current condition.

"Does it hurt?" She asked him.

"What this" Matt tapped his leg lightly "I can tell you it's not the most comfortable thing in the world but I'll deal."

"You shouldn't have to. I know you don't want to hear this but I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"None of this should have happened. I mean look at you. He broke your leg." She told him.

"Jess it's not your…"

"I know. I know. It's not my fault but it sure the hell feels like it. You got run off the road because I was in the car. Everyone's living like this because of me and it shouldn't be happening. You should be out there in a ring wrestling tonight not laid up on the couch unable to even get up. Jeff should be out doing the same thing instead of revolving his entire life around me. You guys had to give up so much because of me. There's no way I can't feel guilty for that."

"You have no control over what other people do." Jeff told her. "We adapt because we love you. Besides, this isn't forever. Matt will be back in the ring. I will be back in the ring. You will be back in the ring, when we're each ready. You're right. Right now none of us are where we want to be but it's not because of you. It's because of some idiot out there."

"So we'll roll with the punches and deal with it because that's what families do." Matt added. As soon as Matt mentioned family, Jessica demeanor changed.

"You said family." She said still not believing it.

"Of course I did." Matt responded.

"We are. Me, you, Matt, Pop, Amy, Shannon, Shane, do you need me to go on because girl there's a lot of us." Jeff said.

Jessica didn't know what to say. She had been searching for a family her whole life. Not to be like a daughter, or like a sister but to actually be seen as one.

"Thank you." She leaned over and kissed him. Then she went over to Matt and gently gave him a hug. "You guys are great."

"Yea I know we are." Matt laughed. She sat back down and they all stared at one another.

"So what do we do now? I don't know about you guys but I'm a little to wired to go to bed, not to mention I slept a lot under sedation."

"I have an idea. You guys wait here." Jeff jumped off the couch and ran upstairs. He quickly came back bringing down a laptop with him.

"What is this?" Jessica asked as he set it all up on the coffee table.

"Well you see you and me got an empty house to furnish. I figure since you just got out of the hospital and Matt can't be left alone we might as well see if we can pick up a few things online. It'll be easier than you dragging me from store to store."

"Are you trying to avoid going shopping with me?" Jessica asked.

"Are you actually turning down an opportunity to shop?" He countered.

"Hell no! Move over and let me see this thing." She gently shoved him over making him laugh. They spent the next few hours surfing the web choosing whatever they wanted. The joked around as they picked out wacky styles and tried to decide how they should decorate. Eventually Jessica and Jeff realized Matt had fallen asleep. Since he couldn't get around very well, they didn't want to go upstairs and leave him alone so Jeff pulled the mattress downstairs and they fell asleep on the floor next to him.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Early the next morning Jeff slowly crept down the stairs and stared at Jessica and Matt as they slept. He checked on his brother before leaning down next to where Jessica was sleeping soundly. He pressed his lips against hers and kissed her until her eyes fluttered open. He placed his finger over her mouth before motioning for her to follow him.

"What about Matt?" She asked quietly.

"He's still asleep. He'll be fine." He took her hand and led her upstairs to their bedroom.

"Okay, what's going on?" she asked after he had closed the door.

"Pack a bag." Jeff said with a smile.

"Why?"

"Because, we are going camping." He handed her the backpack he had brought her for her birthday.

"Camping? Now? Jeff, are you serious?"

"Yea, so you better hurry up. I want to leave as soon as possible." He went over to the dresser and started to pull out some of her clothes.

"Honey, we can't go now. What about Matt? What about the house? We have all that stuff coming."

"That is exactly why we should go now, when the furniture arrives and we have to start decorating we won't have a moment for ourselves. So we should go now while their making the alterations on our house."

"What alterations?" Jessica asked.

"That security company I told you about yesterday is coming to set up the alarm system and reinforce the house."

"How are they going to do that?"

"They're just going to install a thicker door, better windows, that sort of thing. Mike, that's the guy who owns the company, is good. He knows his stuff."

"Is all this necessary?" She asked looking concerned.

"I just want us to feel secure."

"So again, shouldn't we be there?"

"I think its better that we're not."

"You mean, you think its better that I'm not." Jessica looked at him pointedly.

"You've been through a lot. We both have. I just think we deserve a little fun and now is the best time to take it."

"What does Matt think?"

"I didn't tell him."

"Jeff!"

"Ssh, we have to keep our voices down. I don't want to wake him."

"So what are we going to do skip out while he's sleeping? We can't just leave him here alone, especially not now."

"Well in his condition he can't really come with us. Besides, I want us to spend some time together alone. Don't worry about him. I already took care of everything while you were sleeping." He told her. "Shannon's on his way over. Amy will be over this afternoon and Helms said he'd take care of the house."

"I don't know Jeff."

"You sure you're not just trying to get out of camping?"

"It's not the camping." She said. "I'm just afraid the times not right. They don't have a clue who tried to run us off the road. I'm just scared something is going to happen."

"Do you trust me?" He asked pulling her closer.

"Of course I trust you." She told him.

"You're safe with me. I won't let anyone hurt you. I know you're afraid and it's all a lot to deal with but that's why I think we should go. I know this great place, it's private. We can spend the day communing with nature and the night sleeping underneath the stars. You'll really get a chance to think things over. Come on, what do you say?" She paused and he knew that she was thinking about it. Finally a smile came across her face and she nodded. "Good. Why don't you pack up and I'll grab us some food. It's going to be great you'll see."

"Okay." Jessica said and watched him walk away. Still unsure about her decision she went over to the dresser and started to pull out some of her clothes. Having never been camping she had no idea what to wear. She grabbed a couple of tops and a pair of jeans shoving them into the bag before getting dressed for the day. She threw a few last minute toiletries into the backpack before going down the stairs remembering to keep quiet so she didn't wake Matt.

"Ready to go?" Jeff whispered.

"Yea. Are you sure we shouldn't tell Matt? He'll be pissed when he wakes up."

"I left him a note besides Shannon will explain everything." He took her hand and quietly led her out of the house. After securing everything in the car, they got in and where on their way.

"I just have to stop at the house and go over everything with Mike and Shane. You can wait in the car if you want." Jeff said.

"No it's okay. I want to be a part of it."

"All right but if it's too much you let me know." They arrived at the house quickly and both the security company and Shane were all ready waiting. "Sorry guys, it took us a little longer to get off than I thought." Jeff explained.

"No problem." Helms said. He walked over and gave Jessica a hug and a kiss. "Hey there sexy!"

"Hey Shane, thanks for giving up your day." She told him.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't have much planned unless you count the rookie hanging on to my every word."

"What you mean David? How's he doing?"

"So far so good. He's just always there waiting for me to tell him what to do."

"Please, you have a young mind to twist. You know you love it."

"Yea, I do. Plus he carries my bag."

"What he's your bitch?" Jessica joked.

"Not yet but soon." He laughed as they followed Jeff and Mike into the house.

"We got you a double thick door that's reinforced and we're going to replace all the windows, give them more thickness then hook up the alarm system to it all." Mike explained. "Have you given any thoughts to placing extra reinforcement, maybe bars on the window, especially on the first floor?"

"No." Jessica said loudly as she nervously ran her fingers through her hair. "No bars."

"They come in all different styles. They're really not as bad as you think. Most people find them quite nice." Mike told her but Jessica wanted nothing to do with it. She had spent enough time trapped behind bars covered windows with no escape and if she had to look out at them every day in her own house it would be a constant reminder.

"Trust me I know what they're like. It'll make it a prison. Jeff?" She looked to him. He knew what she was thinking immediately.

"Bars are out." He said firmly cutting off any further conversation. "Just make sure this place is as safe as possible."

"We will." Mike said.

"Okay, Helms you have my number in case there are any problems."

"Everything will be fine. Don't worry about it. Where are you guys heading?"

"It's a private place I know of. It's time for a little R and R."

"All right then, you guys get out of here. Be safe and have fun." Helms slapped Jeff's back and gave Jessica a hug before they went back to the car.

"You all right?" Jeff asked her when they were on their way again.

"Yea, I'm just anxious."

"You shouldn't be. Everything's gonna work out. You'll see. Now about camping…"

"My god, I'm actually going aren't I?" She cut him off.

"Yes you are. Don't worry, before the day is over you'll be an expert."

"When you said camping you meant rustic log cabin with a Jacuzzi outside nested in the woods with a five star chef and a butler right?"

"I hate to disappoint you but that's not quite my idea of camping." He laughed.

"Sounds like roughing it to me."

"Come on your highness it won't be that bad. We can go hiking or swim in the lake."

"I didn't pack my suit." She told him.

"It's private enough. You won't even need it besides we got some beautiful scenery to look at, hell maybe we can even get a look at some wildlife."

"Wildlife?"

"You know animal, birds."

"Have you even seen that movie, I think it was Hitchcock's, about those birds that attacked and killed people?"

"Jess, you're kidding me right?" He asked and she started to laugh.

"Okay, so you're going to be my nature guru and show me all that's wonderful in the world?"

"That's the plan. Not to mention a little snuggling by the campfire."

"Now that I can go for."

"Well lay back and relax and we'll be there before you know it." He told her. Jeff's cell phone rang and Jessica pulled it out from the dashboard compartment.

"It's Matt." She said and he removed his gaze from the road to quickly glance at her. "Should I answer it?"

"No, let it go to voice mail." He said after thinking for a moment. "He'll probably just want us to turn around."

"But what if it's an emergency?"

"Shannon would have called. I talked it out with him and we figured that way I would know there was a real problem instead of Matt being pissed." He took the phone from her and turned it off. "He's fine."

"If you say so." Jessica yawned. "How long did you say this ride was anyway?"

"I didn't but we still have about an hour."

"I hate long car rides you know that. They make me sleepy."

"So take a nap. I'll be okay." He told her. "Close your eyes and get some sleep. When you wake up we'll be in a beautiful paradise."

Jessica yawned again then nodded. She put her seat back before shutting her eyes and allowing her slumber to take over.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

"They're not picking up." Matt slammed the phone down on the table frustrated. "I can't believe you didn't try to talk some sense into them, Shan. How could you just let them go?"

"I did try to talk him out of it but Jeff wouldn't listen. He was adamant about getting Jess away from all this, at least for a little while. I figured the best thing to do was just go along with it."

"And not telling me about it? Was that his idea too?"

"He knew you'd give them a problem with going and you could probably be able to talk Jess out of it." Shannon explained.

"Well at least one of them would have been smart. How could he be so stupid? They're out there alone with no protection. There's no one to look out for them."

"I'm sure they'll be fine besides if anything did happen, Jeff's resourceful. He can handle it."

"Did he say anything about where they were going?" Matt asked.

"Look, it's all ready done." Shannon said ignoring the question. "There's no point in getting any angrier about it."

"Well I haven't got anything better to do." Matt grumbled. There was silence for a moment where both men stared at one another. "So, what are you here for babysitting?"

"It will feel like it if all you're going to do is sulk. You can't be alone; Jeff realized that and asked me to cover for a little bit. At least until Amy comes over then I'll get out of your hair."

"Look I'm sorry man. I shouldn't take in out on you." Matt said. "I'm just pissed that they would go off and do something like this."

"Angry or jealous?"

"I'm not gonna lie, I would definitely rather be out there than stuck in this chair but I'm more worried than anything else. I just thought Jeff had matured in all of this but he hasn't. He's still going off without worrying about any consequences."

"Is that so bad? Don't get mad but I don't think I agree with you. I think Jeff did think it over, a lot. He had a clear plan. He knew that Jess being around all of this was making it harder on her. Everything he does is for her and for her well being. He is not going to put her at risk." Shannon was going to continue but a knock at the door ended the conversation. He got up and opened the door expecting to see Amy but instead saw Nick Miller standing in front of him with a female agent.

"Shannon." Miller nodded as he entered the house. "How's everything going?"

"Fine." Shannon responded. "We weren't expecting to see you today."

"Well I think I've given Jess enough time to absorb everything. I really need to question her now that she's settled."

"Funny you should say that." Shannon looked to Matt.

"Why what's going on?"

"Jessica and Jeff aren't here right now." Matt told him. "They went camping."

"What? Where?"

"You see the thing is we don't know where." Matt answered.

"Wait, you mean to tell me they went off somewhere, without any type of protection?"

"They have each other." Shannon said. Miller ignored him and focused his anger on Matt.

"And you just let them? I don't believe this! Why would you do that?" Miller shouted at him.

"It wasn't like I was given a choice. I didn't know. They snuck out early this morning before I woke up. Trust me I'm not happy about this either."

"What is she doing here?" Amy demanded walking into the house seeing Agent Taylor.

"Agent Taylor is part of my team." Miller said.

"You didn't kick her off?"

"It's not his place." Mellissa said.

"If you don't mind we have other problems to deal with." Miller stood between the two glaring women. "Did you know Jessica and Jeff were leaving?"

"He called me this morning and asked if I could come over and stay with Matt." Amy admitted.

"You let him?" Matt looked at her angrily.

"What was I supposed to do? It's not like you can tell him no."

"You should have called me. I would have."

"How, were you going to hop after the car? Come on Matt, Jeff had his mind made up and I think he's right. It's a good idea for them to get away; clear their heads. With everything going on and after Jess' breakdown they both need it."

"Am I the only one who remembers that they're in danger? There is someone out there who tried to kill her, who tried to kill Matt and their solutions is let's go camping?" Miller continued to yell. He pulled Amy over to Shannon. "Now you two seem to know the most. So tell me, where are they?"

"I don't know." Amy said.

"Jeff wouldn't say where they were going. Just that he wanted to make sure we were here for Matt. He got Shane to look after the work on the house and that was it." Shannon added. He knew where they were headed. Jeff wouldn't just disappear but there was no way he was going to tell anyone. He had been sworn to secrecy.

"Really, so which one of you did he tell how to reach him? Even Jeff wouldn't leave without a way for you to contact him in case of an emergency. What about Jessica? Amy, you're her best friend right? Wouldn't she tell you?"

"Sorry Nick. He was surprising Jess and I didn't ask." Amy said.

"So you would let them go out alone?"

"They're not alone." Amy admitted.

"Jeff took someone else with them?"

"Not exactly. They don't know." Everyone looked at her. "Look after everything went down yesterday, I was freaked out so I called Stephanie to get some advice. Somehow, we got to talking about her father appearing and that's where Stephanie told me about New York. Jessica's party wasn't the first time he tried to talk to her."

"What happened?" Matt asked.

"Apparently he tried to approach her when we were there. Steph didn't know who he was, but she could tell we were being followed. She called her dad and the next thing she knew two of Vince's body guards appeared to escort him out. Steph confronted Vince who confirmed that even though Jess wanted him out of her life, he had sent two of his guys to watch out and keep her safe."

"Why not just tell them?" Taylor asked.

"He was afraid Jess would tell him to butt out which you know she would. Steph says he still cares." Amy explained.

"Why am I just finding out about this now?" Miller demanded.

"I only found out last night."

"I didn't mean you. I've interviewed both Stephanie and Vince, neither one said anything about this. Come to think of it, none of you said anything about Jess' father either."

"With the crash I get it kind of slipped our minds." Matt said.

"Is there anything else anyone is holding back from me? What else don't I know?" Miller asked. He noticed Taylor grinning and he shot her a dirty look. "I want you to go back to the McMahons. Talk to them again and find out anything you can. I want to know who he has 'protecting' them and what they know about Jess' father."

"Fine." Taylor said but she continued to stand there.

"You can leave." Miller told him. She looked like she wanted to say something but after her talking to with Stu she knew better and left the house. Miller sat down on the chair next to Matt. "What do you know about him?"

"Not much. Jess never talked about him. She didn't really talk about any of her childhood, just that he left when she was like ten and she never saw him again."

"Until the other night." Nick answered for him.

"Yea, but not the first time he saw her." Amy reminded them.

"Did any of you speak to him?"

"I did briefly." Matt said. "Jess did most of the talking then she took off."

"How long did after did he leave?" Miller asked.

"Almost right after. Adam and I escorted him off grounds." Shannon said.

"Did he seem angry with the way things went?"

"Jess gave him hell but when he left he seemed more upset than anything. He kept saying he was only trying to make things right then he left."

"Wait do you think Jess' dad has something to do with all this?" Matt asked.

"I'm not ruling anything out. We don't know how long he's been trying to reach her or even why."

"Yea well she didn't give him much time to explain himself. Plus after the accident Jess didn't even mention him." Matt said.

"Maybe with the concussion she forgot he was there." Shannon said.

"Knowing Jess, it's more likely she was trying to forget he was there." Matt pointed out. "Not that it matters right now because we can't speak to them."

"All right stop whining." Amy told him. "It's done. Besides it's probably better they're not here."

"Why's that?" Matt asked.

"Because it's time for you to start using the crutches and you don't want anyone around to laugh at you when you fall and bust your ass." Amy laughed.

"Wait I thought they were sending someone over for that? You know a sexy little nurse or something?"

"Sorry, you get me."

"It'll have to do." Miller heard their banter and grew angry.

"Damn it! Why is everything all fun and games with you guys? This is some serious shit going on and all you can do is joke around while the other two go off on a little mini vacation! What is wrong with you people?" Everyone stopped stunned by Miller's outburst. He stared at them one by one.

"You know maybe what everyone's been saying is right. I'm too nice with you guys too casual. I spent yesterday getting my ass chewed off for doing you guys' favors, for getting Jessica out of the hospital, for not questioning her immediately like I'm supposed to. How do you guys repay me? By treating this all like it's some kind of joke?"

"Nick, calm down." Matt said finally speaking up.

"This is unbelievable. You are all unbelievable. You know what? I gotta get out of here. Find your brother, find Jessica and tell them to get back here now." Miller stormed out of the house.

"Well that went well." Shannon said and Matt shot him a look. "What?"

"Call Jeff."

"And tell him what? Miller's on a rampage and wants them to come home so he could yell at them too? I'm sure that will make him come running."

"Shannon, let him know what's going on."

"I'll try." Shannon said. He went into the kitchen leaving Matt and Amy alone.

"You okay?" She asked him.

"Yea. Do you think he'll reach them?"

"He will but it won't make a difference. Jess was losing it; she needed to get away. Jeff knew that and he's gonna give it to her."

"Shan could tell them we had another attack. Then they'd come back." Matt suggested.

Amy gave him a stern look. "You would do that to them?" She asked.

"No I couldn't. It would crush her."

"They're going to be fine you know."

"Huh?"

"I don't know what Miller's problem is but I know yours." She took his hand. "You're worried about them. When they're with you, you feel like you can protect but they're not. If anything happens to them now, you won't be able to help and that scares you."

"You're right." Matt admitted. "So what do I do?"

"You accept it. Sooner or later they were going to have to handle things themselves."

"So what do I do now?"

"You let the two lovebirds have their fun. Then you grab the crutches and get off of your lazy ass." Amy smiled and he laughed.

"All right, go give them to me. I'll give it a shot but no laughing."

"Who me?" She gave him another smile before running off to fetch the crutches.


	37. Chapter 37

**Sorry for the long delay, again. My computer has been working against me but I fixed the problem. (I got a new one.) So on with the story and thanks for waiting!**

Chapter 37

"All right buddy, just try to keep everything together for me." Jeff spoke quietly into the phone. "Don't worry, we'll be careful. I'll talk to you soon." He hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Jessica asked.

"When did you wake up?"

"A few minutes ago. Is everything okay?"

"Everyone's fine. Shannon was just checking in."

"Is Matt angry?"

"He'll get over it. Don't worry."

"Yea but Jeff…"

"No, I don't want to hear another word about it. It's just you and me out here. Let's talk about something else."

"Okay. Are we there yet?" Her voice came across like a little kid and he laughed.

"Soon."

"Good because I think I need to stretch my legs."

"Well there's a place coming up soon where we can stop off and get some ice cream."

"Okay." They drove for a few minutes longer till eventually Jessica saw a small building come up. Jeff pulled into the parking lot. She waited at a picnic bench while Jeff went and got the ice cream.

"Here you go." He handed her an ice cream cone.

"Thank you." She took a lick. "Mmm, this is good."

"You know, we still haven't decided on any paint colors for the rooms."

"I think we should do the bedroom in pink." She teased.

"We are not making my bedroom pink!"

"I thought it was our room." She laughed.

"It won't be if you make it pink. You can have it to yourself."

"Oh really? So you wouldn't go in it?"

"No way." He said firmly.

"Even if I was lying on that nice comfy bed we just brought, wearing this cute little nighty I got at Saks?"

"What color is it?"

"Would you believe pink?" Jessica asked and he leaned over to kiss her.

"You know what you can make it any color you want as long as we're in together."

"So I can go with a lavender trim?"

"Pink and purple, you're kidding me right?" She didn't answer just kissed him again. "I think our ice cream is melting."

"Let it." She said not letting him go. He kissed her a few more times before finally pulling himself away.

"Let's hit the road."

"Do we have to?"

"Come on. It's less than an hour away. We'll get there, pitch the tent then the rest of the day is ours."

"You see it's that whole tent thing that keeps throwing me off."

"You'll be fine." He took what was left of her ice cream and threw it out before taking her hand and leading her back to the car. They drove for about forty-five minutes before Jeff pulled off again to the side of the road.

"This is it?" She asked as they got out of the car.

"Yup, we're here." He opened up the trunk and handed her her backpack and a sleeping bag before grabbing his own and the tent. "Okay now follow me."

"Wait I got to walk too?"

"Well we don't camp in the middle of the road."

"Where's a mall when you need one?" She muttered. "Okay, lead the way." Jessica started to follow him down the trail. They walked for awhile till eventually they came to a break in the trees and she saw water ahead. She was amazed when they stepped out onto the clearing. "Wow."

"Nice huh?" Jeff said as she looked around at their surroundings. From the lush green trees to the clear blue lake that she couldn't take her eyes off, everything gave her a calming feeling. "Pop used to take us here when we were kids. When I got older, I just used to come here alone to think."

"I never knew."

"Well, once I got into wrestling and I was on the road so much I didn't have the time so I stopped going."

"That's a shame. I can see why you like it." She said softly.

"Yea well, I'm glad I'm back and I'm glad you're here with me to do it." He put down his backpack and helped her do the same. "If you want you can spread out that sleeping bag and have a seat or you can take a look around. I'm just gonna set up the tent."

"Can I help?"

"Are you sure you want to? I mean I can do it myself."

"I thought I was getting the whole camping experience and I do believe that includes setting up a tent."

"Then come on over and hand me that pole." He told her. Knowing Jessica was never the handiest person, he took his time explaining everything to her and even though he could have had it done in half the time, they were enjoying themselves so much it didn't matter. Eventually, they were done and Jeff laid down the sleeping bag.

"So this is where we sleep." She said admiring their handy work.

"If you want or if the weather cooperates we can sleep outside, under the stars. We'll see but before we do anything let's see if we can find us some wood to start a fire." She followed him deeper into the woods. Jessica was amazed by all the sounds. There were noises everywhere but it wasn't the chaotic sounds she was used to. There were birds chirping, leaves rustling and echos of what she hoped were small animals.

"There aren't bears here are there?"

"No." He smiled at her. "They're not known for being in these parts. Don't worry."

"If you say so," she said and continued to follow him around. They made their way back to the campsite and dropped the wood they had gathered. "Okay, so this is the part where you show me how to rub two sticks together until we get a fire?"

"Possibly, if by two sticks you mean two matches." Jeff laughed showing them to her.

"Hey that's cheating!"

"What can I say? I'm not that one with nature." He struck the match and got the fire going. She came over and sat down next to him as they stared out at the lake.

"You know I hate to admit this, but I kind of like this." She admitted.

"I knew you would."

"It's so peaceful. It's like you can just get away from everything here. There's no fighting, no arguing or no stalker waiting to attack. It's just us. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking me here, for always seeming to know what I need. I couldn't figure out how I was ever going to go a day without being bombarded by everything going on and then you step in and here we are. But mostly, for being you. Three years ago I thought my life was over. Two years ago I was struggling to just go outside and here I am, really outside and living again. Losing you was the worst thing that's ever happened to me but maybe we needed it to get where we are now. All the distractions, Meg, Shane…" She paused shuddering.

"Go ahead."

"I can't. I'm trying to be all meaningful and tell you that it's going to be okay. That I'm going to be okay. I keep saying that I don't want to focus on what's happened but I seem to be the one who always brings it up. It hurts to even say his name yet I can't get him out of my head. You would think that out here, with all these beautiful surroundings and you by my side, I would be able to forget."

"You're not supposed to." Jeff told her. "Honey this trip wasn't about escaping. It's not about taking everything that just happened and washing it all away. It's about having some time and a place where you can deal with what's happened without more piling on you. Trying to forget everything isn't going to help you. You've tried that method and so far it hasn't worked out to well for you has it?"

"No." She admitted.

"What Shane did, what's going on now, you have to learn to accept it."

"How do you accept someone raping you? How do you accept someone trying to kill you?"

"Maybe I'm not using the right word. I'm not expecting you to say okay it happened and just move on. That's not what I mean. I just want you to heal baby. I want to see that spark in your eyes, and that smile on your face. Not just for fleeting moments but for real. I can't tell you how because I just don't know but I'm willing to try anything except letting you block it out like it never happened. There will always be someone reminding you of Shane and until this new case is resolved there will be situations that you're going to have to face. We just have to figure out how to make it hurt less."

Jessica let a tear roll down her face. This was not what she thought it would be. Never in her wildest imagination did she think that Jeff was bringing her to face everything that she went through. What she had thought was going to be a vacation, Jeff had planned to be almost a therapy section.

"We can talk about anything you want to talk about. If you want to talk about the kidnapping, the rape, the accident anything, you go ahead. Just tell me how you're feeling, not what you think I want to hear but how you're really feeling."

"I'm scared."

"Okay, why?"

"I don't think it's ever going to stop. I know everyone keeps telling me it will but so far I haven't seen any signs. I mean I don't wake up screaming anymore but that doesn't mean I don't still have nightmares about it about him."

"You do?" He looked at her surprised.

"Last night when we went to bed, even though I was in your arms he still popped into my head and that scares me. It's like there's no escape and now with the new threats, I just don't know how it's going to get any better. How am I supposed to lead a new life if he keeps getting back in there?"

"But Shane's…"

"In a mental institution." She finished for him. "Yes, I know but you know him as well as I do and he is fully capable of being behind this."

"So you don't think it's someone else?"

"No but I wish it was. I've already experienced Shane doing what I thought was his worst. It's the thought that he could do more that scares me. He's already taken me, raped me, he's even shot me. So far the only thing he hasn't done is kill me, or kill someone I love. What else could he have planned for me?"

"You know Miller was right. We don't know for sure that its him. It would be hard for even Shane to pull it off."

"So you think it's somebody else too?" She asked.

"Yea." Jeff lied. There was a nagging voice inside of his head yelling at him that he was wrong but he had to think about what was best for Jessica. She had already said that it would be easier for her if it was someone else so maybe it was best that he went along with it for now. "Shane really is locked up."

"So it's just me and my head not willing to let it go." Jessica said disappointed with herself.

"Babe, I'm not going to tell you what to think. You have to figure that out for yourself.

"I know." She sighed. "Somehow."

Jessica stood up and walked towards the edge of the lake. There were so many thoughts racing through her mind that she didn't know where to start. Everyone seemed to be expecting a lot from her, even Jeff. Dealing with everything was something she had never expected to do. It would have been much easier for her to just suppress it like she has always done. _But what good did that do, _she reminded herself. She had locked away her entire childhood but had that made her any happier? There was just too much to deal with and the thought of even attempting it overwhelmed her. She looked back and saw Jeff watching her.

"Walk with me?" She asked stretching out her hand. He didn't say anything just walked over to her and draped his arm around her pulling her closer to him as they slowly moved around the lake.

"It's a lot isn't it?" He asked her. Even with everything going on, she knew at least Jeff understood her. "I'm here for you babe."

And maybe that was all she needed, realizing what was going to make it different this time. All along everyone kept telling her she wasn't alone. Last night, he had confirmed that she had a family. This morning they had all proved it but being here with Jeff, with him practically being able to read her mind, affirmed that no matter what she wasn't alone. She didn't have to go through this herself, and the more she dealt with everything, the more he would be there with her. If Jeff believed in her and Matt, Amy, and everyone else believed in her, then maybe with their support she could finally start believing in herself


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"Let's rest here a little." Jessica suggested. She sat down on a large rock nearby and looked out at the water. From across the lake she could see their camp site. Lost in thought she hadn't realized they had walked that far. Neither of them had said anything and Jessica appreciated how Jeff even without saying anything was able to support her just by being there. "I think I need to start hitting the gym again. I've lost my stamina."

"It's fine. The lake's larger than you think. It was a good walk." He told her knowing that she was more mentally fatigued than anything else. She continued to stare out at the water. "What are you really thinking of?"

"I want to be right. I do. I want to be normal but he took a lot from me." She said. "I think I could be even able to handle the kidnapping and being held hostage in that sick house but…" her voice started to trail. Jeff squeezed her hand for support.

"I can feel strong. I can feel like I can handle anything. He took me away from you and I found my way back. He shot me but I healed. He raped me and I can't get that back. Maybe I'm not supposed to."

"Maybe the way you do is moving on with your life. Us being together, us having a future, that's how you get it back."

"When two people are together, when they're in love that's how its supposed to happen. He took that from me."

"Then that's how you take it back." He told her.

"So we have sex? You remember how well that went right?"

"No, that's not what I mean. You make yourself willing to love, to being that close or intimate with someone. Jess, there have been people who after they went through what you did they shut themselves off, from the world, from their family and friends but that's not what you did. When we got home you never turned away from me or anyone else. I mean think about it, you saw the look on Shane's face when you told the court that you were going to go home and start your life with me."

"Yea but I was just saying what I thought everyone wanted hear."

"Shane didn't know that and I think deep down that you believed what you were saying. Hell even if you thought that's why you were saying it, it had to come from somewhere. It came from you."

"How do you know I really believe it?"

"You're not that good of an actress." He winked at her and she gave him a small smile. "Plus you're here aren't you and you never once had said anything about not wanting to be here."

"Of course I want to be here." She said.

"Then see? You're already moving on. You're all ready taking back some of what he took from you. I know you second guess yourself and there's going to be set backs but as long as you believe you can do it, you will." He gave her a kiss.

"Kisses help to."

"Oh, absolutely." He said kissing her again. They clasp hands and watched the water just leaning on one another. It wasn't an awkward silence and neither one of them was struggling for anything to say. They were just happy being with one another. It was a feeling Jessica realized they had had a lot. That could be sign of her heeling too, she thought.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours now?" He asked noticing her grin.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take us to get back, and also what you were making us for dinner."

"Me?" Jeff asked mocking shock. "You're the cook here."

"You're Mister Camping. The only outside cooking I know how to do requires a large state of the art grill. You know the one with the little burners attached? You didn't happen to stow that away in the car somehow did ya?"

"I knew I forgot something." Jeff said laughing.

"Well that means you have to cook dinner for me and it better taste good. Remember you're trying to make me come back here again?"

"Okay you're on. What do you say we head back to camp? I'll race you."

"Let's do it." Jessica said standing up. "On my mark. One… Two…" Jeff didn't wait for three. He ran into the lake.

"Hey wait that's not fair. I'll get my clothes wet!" She called out after him but Jeff had already started swimming. Jessica let out a gasp as she stepped into the cold water. She looked up and realized Jeff had stopped moving and was now laughing as he watched her slowly enter the water. She called out to him. "You know I can swim."

"Then prove it." Jeff turned and slowly started to swim towards their tent."

"Okay, you asked for it." When the water was waste high, she dived in and took off. It wasn't long before she was closing the gap between her and Jeff. When he realized this he picked up his pace but he had already given her too much of a chance. She reached the end of the lake before him.

"I can't believe I was just beat by a girl." He muttered shaking the water from his hair.

"Oh come on. Suck it up and take it like a man." She came over to him and pressed her lips against his. "That's for coming in second. I'm gonna get out of these wet clothes. Feel free to start dinner."

"Can't I change first?" He asked.

"Nope, you look good wet." She flashed him a smile before going into the tent. Jeff added more wood to the fire than started cooking dinner. Jessica took her time doing her best to clean up and make herself presentable before coming back out. "You didn't by any chance pack any bandages did you?"

"No why? Did you get hurt?" He came over to her concerned.

"I'm fine. It's just that I got the last one and the stitches wet during our little swim meet."

"Shit, I'm sorry baby. I forgot." He gently touched her forehead. "Here," He took a napkin and patted it down.

"It's okay." She said stopping him. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Yea, but the doctor said to try not to get them wet. I'm fairly sure that included taking a dip."

"Well, I enjoyed that swim, even if it meant I ruined some clothes, which I think I did."

"I'm sure you'll buy some more." He told her.

"Of course, now what's for dinner?" She peered over to the fire. "Hot dogs? That's my gourmet dinner?"

"These aren't just any hot dogs. These are the finest hot dogs you will ever eat."

"And why is that?"

"Because I made them." Jeff took her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him. He set up her plate with two hot dogs and a big heaping pile of beans before handing it over to her.

"Do you think you gave me enough?"

"Just eat what you can and by that I mean all of it. Your stay in the hospital caused you to lose even more weight. We gotta fatten you up. Besides, if you eat all your dinner I have a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?" She asked.

"Eat your food and you'll find out." He handed her some ketchup packets and she started to eat. She ate one of the hot dogs and some of the beans before putting the plate down.

"How about you show me the surprise and then I eat more later?" She leaned closer to him and kissed him seductively on the neck.

"Hey now that's not fair. Are you trying to seduce me?"

"No. I'm just trying to get my way." She kissed him again closer to his earlobe. "Is it working?"

"A little." He laughed. She kept kissing him, her lips roaming till finally he relented. "Okay, okay. Hold on a minute." He got up and went into the tent. Jessica stood up and waited until Jeff came out with the sleeping bag. He laid it down close to the fire but not enough to cause any problems.

"So what is it?" She asked impatiently.

"You'll see. Now lay down." She followed his orders. "Okay, close your eyes."

"Jeff?"

"Humor me, close your eyes." He waited for her to do so. "Now keep them closed and I'll be right back out. Don't open them until I say."

"Okay." Jessica tried to listen as she heard Jeff walk away then waited impatiently for him to return. She heard his footsteps approach. "Can I open them yet?"

"Not yet. Just hold on one more minute." He continued to move around. She felt him sit down next to her. "Okay now open them." Jessica opened her eyes to see Jeff sitting across from her holding a small birthday cake, complete with lit candles. Her face started to beam as he began to sing Happy Birthday to her.

"But I already had a birthday party nd it's not my birthday yet." She said when he had finished.

"It will be in a few hours from now, plus you never got to have any cake. So, happy birthday. Make a wish." He told her. Like a child she closed her eyes and made her wish before blowing out the candles.

"Thank you." She said as he handed her a knife to cut the cake. "How did you sneak a cake out here?"

"It wasn't easy, let me tell ya. I had to put it in the bottom of the cooler and then pray you wouldn't find it. So it's a little cold."

"No it's not. It's perfect." She took a bite. "It's good."

"I'm glad you like it. So what did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you. If I did that it wouldn't come true." She looked at him wistfully. "And I need it too."

"It will." He said realizing what she wanted. He moved himself closer putting his arm around her. "It definitely will."

"Thank you so much, for all of this."

"It's my pleasure but I'm not done yet." He said taking her hand. "I wrote you something."

"You wrote something for me? When did you have time?"

"I always have time for you. It's supposed to be a song but I couldn't fit my guitar in the trunk with everything else."

"Sing it to me anyway." She said. She put down her cake and nested against him as Jeff started. His words, his voice had always been able to sooth her. Even after they had broken up she had held on to every song, every poem he had written for her just so she would feel a part of him was still by her side. She closed her eyes and just listened to the sound of his voice and the words he had written to tell her how much he loved her.

When he finished he looked down at her and saw tears in her eyes.

"Was it that bad?" He asked her.

"No, that was the most beautiful birthday present anyone has ever given me." She told him. "I love you."

"Well then don't cry. You'll make me feel bad."

"I can't help it." She laughed. "It's in my genes."

"Let me make it better." He kissed her tears, wiping them from her face. He slowly lowered her back to the ground as they continued to hold one another. Her hands roamed under his shirt stroking his back both of them wanted more but were afraid to take that step. Jeff didn't want to rush her. It was still too soon and he knew it. So instead he gently pulled away and rolled next to her, still keeping his arm around her. She looked at him. "When you're ready, for now let's just have our night underneath the stars."

She stared up at the sky with him admiring all the dots of light in the air. A cool breeze rushed over them and she snuggled closer to him. He took one end of the sleeping bag and wrapped it around them then pulled her closer.

"It makes us seem so small." Jessica said. "Do you know the names of any them?"

"Well, that bright one over there is probably the North Star and you see those three right there in a row? They're part of Orion's Belt. But the flashing ones, above those now those are known as 747's." Jessica looked at him. "All right, we both know I didn't pay any attention in school."

"You mean when you actually attended."

"Hey no fair."

"That's okay. I never did either but I like this. We can name them ourselves."

"Really."

"Yea." She insisted. "Like that one above the lake we can call it… Flipper."

"Flipper?"

"Well it's above water."

"Fine." He said laughing. "Now I'm gonna name one, two actually. Do you see those two right by the moon?"

"Yea?"

"I'm naming them after us because they're always going to be right next to each other, just like us. So that one's Jeff and the other is Jessica."

"So now we have our own stars." She smiled. They continued naming the stars until Jessica fell asleep in his arms. He looked down at her and could have sworn she was smiling. He took one more look at the stars and made a wish that she would have a peaceful night's sleep free of any thoughts of Shane and what he had done to her. He kissed her one last time before closing his own eyes in what he knew would be a good night's sleep.


	39. Chapter 39

**_Author's Note: Okay, so let me start off by saying I am so sorry about the HUGE, HUGE wait in continuing this story. I was suffering from major writer's block and took what I thought would be a short break. I dont even know if anyone's still interested but I'm determined to finish this even if there have been so many changes in the wrestling world since I started this. A major point being that almost all of the wrestler's in my story have either retired or moved on to other wrestling oranizations but I do have a few chapters already written so I'm goin to continue to write it as I had planned. Also I just wanted to give a quick thanks to Mo and Lovely88 for continuing to nag me to finish this story and being patient while I wrote some others to get back in thegroove. Anyone on with the story and thanks in advance to anyone reading this._**

**_DISCLAIMER: Not even sure how to phrase this any more but here it goes, All superstars or divas are owned by wherever they currently work now. I only own my original characters._**

_Chapter 39_

_ "Where are you going?" Jessica asked. Jeff had thought she was soundly asleep yet she still felt him unwrap himself from her._

_ "Ssh, it's okay. Go back to sleep. I was just going to grab some more wood. The fire's dying." He told her._

_ "Wait you're going to leave me here alone?" _

_ "I won't be far away and I'll be back before you know it. You'll be fine."_

_ "Can't you just get wood from right here?"_

_ "It's mostly low level brush. I'm going to go back to where we got it from the last time. It will burn better."_

_ "But there are things out there and it's dark." Proving her point they heard a rustling coming from the woods. "See? What was that?"_

_ "It was probably just a squirrel."_

_ "Did I ever tell you about the evil squirrel at my house? It kept getting into the air conditioner and I had to seal it off. After that it used to sit on a branch outside my window and glare at me, like it was concocting some master plan."_

_ "Jess," he laughed._

_"No I'm serious."_

_ "I'm sure you are but the odds of that squirrel being out here are slim to none. If it'll make you feel better you can come with me."_

_"No it's okay, you can go." She said sheepishly. "Just don't take too long."_

_"I'll be quick. I promise. If you get scared or any squirrels try to attack you, you can wait in the tent." He suggested. _

_"Don't make fun of me. That squirrel was evil."_

_"Okay. I'm sorry. I promise you no squirrel will attack you. I'll make it quick." Jeff told her. He gave her a kiss before he walked away. She watched him until he disappeared in the woods. Alone Jessica was now more aware of all the sounds that were emanating from the dark. At the sound of a branch snapping she spun around. _

_"Jeff is that you?" She listened for him but all she heard was the rustling of the leaves. "All right girl keep it together. Jeff's right it's probably just a fluffy little squirrel. Try not to be a wuss." But when she heard something moving in the woods she stood up. She waited for Jeff to appear but she still got nothing. Jessica let out a sigh of relief when she heard what sounded like footsteps approaching. _

_"You weren't kidding, that was fast. I hope you got enough because I'm freezing." She called out but then the footsteps stopped. She waited a few more moments but he didn't show up. "Hardy this isn't funny."_

_ From the distance she swore she could see a figure standing across the way. While that should have given her comfort she realized that it couldn't have been Jeff for he had left in the opposite direction. All the sudden she had images of the scary movies she had watched as a kid. It always took place in the woods. She warily looked again expecting to see some evil creature in front of her but whatever she thought she had seen was gone. _

_"You need to get a grip." She scolded herself. "Like Michael Myers is going to come out here and attack you." Still, Jessica grabbed the sleeping bag and went into the tent. She figured if Jeff asked she'll just say she was cold. But when she got in there it was pitch black. At least when she was outside she had the light of the fire. So again she went back out and set the sleeping back up near the fire. _

_"You know it's getting lonely out here!" She called out sitting down._

_"Maybe I can help you." A voice that definitely wasn't Jeff's said._

_"Whose out there?" Jessica stood back up. She saw a figure approaching towards her. She inched her way back towards the direction Jeff had left in. "Jeff!"_

_"I don't think he's going to be much help right now."_

_"Where is he?"_

_"Don't worry he's close. He's taking a little nap behind the tent." The figure moved closer. She had backed herself close enough to take a look. Keeping one eye on the approaching man she gazed behind the tent. In the darkness she saw Jeff slumped on the ground not moving._

_"Oh my god, Jeff!" She ran over and checked on him. Thankfully she could tell he was breathing._

_"You know you really are entertaining. I wasn't sure if I should say anything or just let you keep talking to yourself."_

_"What do you want?"_

_"What do you think I want?" He taunted. _

_Jessica had to think quickly. She could run but in the darkness she wouldn't know where to go. Their tent offered very little protection. That's when she remembered the knife. Jeff had brought it along to cut the cake and it was still out there by the fire. She started to walk around the other side of the tent, keeping her eyes on whoever was out there. He stopped when he came to Jeff._

_"You know he really goes down easy." The man said giving Jeff's unconscious body a shove with his foot._

_"Leave him alone."_

_"Why? Are you going to protect him?" He said with a chuckle. It was the laugh that caught her attention as a familiar chill went down her spine. "Don't worry. It's not him I'm after."_

_"It can't be you." She said in disbelief. "Shane?"_

_"Who else could it be?" He stepped into full view. "I mean come on, the break in at the house, our miniature dream home, the accident, who else would do that for you."_

_"No it's not possible. They locked you up. They said you couldn't get out."_

_"Well I'm here aren't I? Come on now, you should know nothing can keep me from you."_

_"No, no, I'm it's not real. I'm just imagining this."_

_"Oh I'm real baby. Ask Jeff." He laughed again as Jessica ran over to where she had last seen the knife. Not finding it, she kicked the sleeping bag away and dropped to her knees in search of it._

_"Now where are we going to sleep? And after all the work you did in setting it back up again. That's a shame. Looking for something in particular?" She looked at him and lowered her head the glow from the moon shimmer off the blade in his hand._

_"Why? Why can't you just leave us alone?"_

_"Us? We're the us, not you and Hardy. Now come over here, because somebody's been a bad girl."_

_"Stay away from me!"_

_"We've got to finish what we started. Don't make me hurt you." He warned her._

_"No! I won't let you."_

_"Really, the way I see it you have two options. You can either come to me, or you go off running screaming for help in the empty forest. Hey you never know, maybe that crazy squirrel will come and rescue you. Of course that would leave me here all alone with nothing to do. It'll be just me and Jeff, oh and the knife. What's it gonna be?"_

_Jessica didn't respond as she tried to figure out what to do. Smiling Shane went over to Jeff and pulled his head up by his hair. Jeff moaned slightly. Still not conscious, Shane pressed the knife to his throat._

_"It's not that good of a knife. I wonder how long it would take. I mean it's certainly won't do much damage on the first go. It's gotta hurt though. It's up to you. Should I give it a try?"_

_"I hate you." She told him._

_"Wow, that was strong. Gotta say I didn't expect that and here I thought that whole scene at the trial was just an act."_

_"It wasn't."_

_"Well I guess that means I've got to put in a little more work to break you again. Don't worry. I'm up for it." Shane dropped Jeff and moved towards him._

_"I'm warning you Shane. Stay away from me."_

_"You know I like this new you. Very forceful, it's kind of sexy."_

_"Yea well wait till you see what I do next." Not waiting for him to attack her, Jessica lunged at Shane with all her might, him to the ground. He laughed as they rolled around in the dirt. She hit him hard and his laughter stopped as he began to forcefully fight back. Jessica felt a pain in her stomach as he punched her right in the mid section and she froze for a second giving the advantage he needed as he got on top of her and held her down._

_"No!" She cried out._

_"The fun's over. Well, at least for you." He told her. She struggled to get him off of her. He pressed the knife against her as he pulled at her clothes. "I'm going to enjoy this."_

_"Shane, please."_

_"Shane please," He mimicked. "Now that didn't take long. This is the Jessica I remember. Now comes the tears, right? But you don't have to be scared, just think of this as a cleansing of you and Hardy." He pulled at her pants and she lost it screaming and thrashing about making it impossible for Shane to keep a hold on her. She squirmed out of his grasp and took off._

_"I wouldn't go too far if I were you!" He shouted after her. "Even if you were willing to leave Jeff it's not like you could get out of here!" He went back to Jeff who was starting to come to. From her advantage in the woods Jessica could see that Shane once again had the knife pressed against Jeff._

_"So here's the deal. You're going to come back over to me or Hardy's going to get it now. You have no other choice." He taunted her. He applied pressure to the knife and she could here Jeff moan as it started to cut his skin._

_"No wait! Don't hurt him, please!" She stepped back into the clearing. Shane lifted the knife. _

_"Good now come over here."_

_"No. You let him go first."_

_"Why? So he can get free, then you both run off? I don't think so."_

_"I won't run off. I promise." Jessica begged. _

_"No this is how it's going to work. We're going to tie your lover up and then you and I are going to get out of here."_

_"You can't just leave him here alone."_

_"But he's not alone. Look across the lake." Almost as if on cue a flame went up on the other side of the lake. Jessica strained her eyes to see two figures tied together on the rock she and Jeff had sat on earlier. She knew immediately who they were._

_"How did you?" She said in disbelief. _

_"It wasn't easy. Let me tell you. That Amy she's a fighter but eventually I subdued her and using my subtle charm I got Matty boy to tell me where you were."_

_"He wouldn't have."_

_"Don't you get it? It's all about love. Just like there's nothing I wouldn't do for you, there's nothing he wouldn't for her. All I had to do was rough her up a bit and he spilled. We all do whatever it takes to save the ones we love. Even Jeff, although he kind of sucks at it. So the question remains what will you do for love? One happy couple ends tonight."_

_"I don't understand." She said. _

_"We'll you see. Amy's not doing so well and neither is Matt for that matter. It wasn't easy carrying him out through the woods. As for Jeff…" Shane leaned down and plunged the knife into his stomach. _

_"No!" Jessica screamed running over to him. She knelt before him as blood poured out of his wound. Shane grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back up. _

_"You're little families about to get much smaller because somebody's going to die tonight and you get to choose."_

_"No. Shane don't do this."_

_"What's it going to be, the so called love of your life, the brother who is always there to guide you, or the sister who would do anything to protect you?"_

_"You can't make me choose. I can't do that."_

_"Well you can always let them all die but I don't think you will. So whose it going to be? Who leaves this happy family forever?" He let her go and circled her waiting for an answer. Jessica knew she had little time to waste for every second she prolonged it her three friends suffered. She knew she had to accept the inevitable._

_"Me."_

_"Come again?"_

_"I'm the one who leaves this family. I'll go with you. I'll do whatever you want."_

_"You understand that this is forever? We're going where no one can reach us and if you escape I'll make sure they're all die."_

_"Yes I know."_

_"Good girl I knew you'd make the right decision." He noticed her looking from Amy and Matt back to Jeff. "Don't worry. As soon as we're gone they'll get medical attention. They'll all be fine but there's just one thing you have to do for me."_

_"Haven't I done enough?"_

_"Don't you question me! I'm letting them leave. I can change my mind and let them all die."_

_"What is it?" She sighed. _

_"You have to kiss me. Right here, right now in front of everyone and it better feel like you mean it."_

_He pulled her close to him but instead a forcing himself on to her he waited for her to do so. She brought her lips to his and kissed him. She forced the bile forming in her stomach down as he shoved his tongue down her thoat and pressed his filthy hands against her body. As he went to squeeze her breast she pulled away unable to force herself to touch him any longer but Shane was oblivious as he smiled down at her. _

_"I knew you wanted it." He said reminding her of what he had said in the courtroom. Just a reminder of that moment filled her with rage as Shane grabbed her and kissed her again. _

_"Shouldn't we be leaving?" Jessica asked pushing him off. "You promised to help them."_

_"They're not my concerned anymore, nor yours."_

_"You lied."_

_"Oh don't look so surprised. Did you really think I would give a damn about what happened to any of them? They're the reason that we aren't living it up together right now. So with them gone we'll have no problems. Sure you'll hate me for a little bit but with a little persuasion I'm sure you'll come around. Besides, what other choice do you have." He grabbed her hand, holding her tightly. He started to drag her away._

_"Jess." Jeff called out and Shane stopped._

_"I'm sorry did you say something? Aw did you want to say goodbye? Or maybe you wanted to apologize for dragging her out here in the middle of nowhere making it easier for me to get her back? Well don't worry about it. I wouldn't want you to waste your breath. So why don't you use your last few minutes thinking about everything I'm going to do to her. You lose Jeff. But I tell you what, I'll let you have a parting kiss. Our kiss." Shane pulled Jessica close to him. "Put your arms around me and make it look real. I can make it very bad for you, very bad." He placed her arms around his waist and forced himself on her again. Jessica struggled to push herself away but Shane wouldn't let her. In fact he squeezed her tighter until she played along. She moved her hands stiffly up and down his back to get him to ease off. When he was satisfied he let her go._

_"Let's get out of here." Shane said._

_"No wait. I have something I want to say." She told him. _

_"So you want to say goodbye?"_

_"No not really but I do have a confession to make."_

_"And what's that?" _

_"When we hugged just now, and when you kissed me…" She paused giving him a big smile. He smiled back so she leaned in to whisper into his ear. "I stole the knife back". And with that she buried the knife deep into his stomach. He took a step back looking at her in shock. _

_"We will never be together!" She shouted pushing him further away. "I dispise you and as long as I live I will never let you touch me like that again!" Jessica was surprised to see Shane still standing, the knife in his body and coming towards her. Startled she took a step back and lost her footing as he fell on top of her. She had been expecting dead wait but Shane refused to give up. He placed both of his hands around her neck and began to squeeze tightly. Jessica felt her lungs scream for air as he crushed her windpipe. She desperately looked to Jeff. He struggled moving ever so close but with the loss of blood and the searing pain he looked miles away. If she wanted to get free she would have to do it herself. _

_She reached for the knife still in him twisting it deeper inside of him. Shane howled in pain but refused to release his grip as it became a battle of wills each of them determined to outlive the other. Jessica could feel the searing pain in her lungs and the blinding white light that she felt around her but she refused to let go. She was not going to let him win. Using what little strength she had left she raised her knee slamming it firmly into his groin. Shane cried out in pain finally releasing her. She rolled away gasping for air then quickly got to her feet._

_"You stupid bitch!" He cried out. "When I get my hands on you…" Jessica didn't let him finish as she kicked him right in his midsection._

_"You will never get your hands on me." Staring down at him, lying on the ground Jessica felt all her rage, all her fear, every emotion that she had pushed back and buried deep inside her build up to something stronger than she could control. She threw herself back at him and let Shane have it, punching, kicking and screaming. She could have sworn that she felt someone trying to pull her back but she ignored it._

_"I hate you!" Jessica yelled as she slammed his head against the ground. Over and over she repeated it until Shane had long stopped fighting back. Her screams were gradually replaced by tears and then sobs. Exhausted she rolled off of him. Lying on her back she stared at the sky trying to catch her breath. "It's over. Please let it be over." She whispered._

_"It is." A voice said from above. She took the outstretched hand to help her from the ground. Jessica now stared at another person who had caused her so much grief in her life: her father. He gave her a calming smile. "You're ready. It's time to face it for real."_

_"What?" Jessica asked confused._

_"It's time to wake up now." He reached out to gently caress her cheek and at the feel of his touch her eyes opened and she was back under the sleeping bag with Jeff snuggled beside her sound asleep._


End file.
